


You're Not Alone

by EllaBurnella



Series: You're Not Alone Series [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Version Of Earth, Anal Sex, Dirty Talk, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fingerfucking, Light BDSM, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Past Child Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Protective Kylo Ren, Reylo - Freeform, Rough Sex, Serial Killer Sub Plot, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Vaginal Sex, Virgin Rey, romantic sex, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-08-22 13:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 134,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16598870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllaBurnella/pseuds/EllaBurnella
Summary: Rey Kenobi is a successful young woman working as an assistant manager at First Order Inc. With an apartment of her own, her two best friends Finn and Poe, and finally away from the life of Foster care, she finds little to be upset about. Kylo Ren, a man who works on the same floor as her, has a somewhat different outlook on life. Seemingly polar opposites, the two have clashed heads for months to the point of their constant bickering being a normal routine. But neither can deny the forceful attraction they feel for one another and fate eventually seems to set events in place to push the two together until they learn more and more about each other and see that they may not be so different from one another after all. The two are able to find solace in each other, but when a sinister evil surrounding their newfound haven begins to threaten their lives, Kylo and Rey are soon pushed to save each other from physical and mental turmoil they never imagined they'd have to face.





	1. Chapter 1

Rey P.O.V

I stride through the entrance of the tallest building in Galaxy: First Order Inc. The large glass doors swing silently closed behind me and the low hum of the cold lobby fills my ears. It’s still early and a Monday. When the building is at one of its most quietest. Not a common state for the corporation that runs basically everything in the state. The only quieter time than seven thirty in the morning is at around eleven at night, which is how late I have to stay at least twice a month. 

I nod in polite greeting to a tired looking Randy, the secretary at the front desk. He always looks like he’s about to fall asleep on Monday mornings. Then again, who doesn’t? 

I rush past the front desk, back into the offices on the left side. Where mine is. I press the button for the elevator, my muscle memory kicking back into gear after the brief weekend break. The elevator bings as it comes down and the doors open to reveal Maz Kanata, a beautiful dark skinned young woman who works in the healthcare department. We don’t know each other too well, but we’ve had one or two brief conversations. We greet each other with all the normal formalities: How have you been, how was your weekend, what do you think of this new so and so, etc. I can’t count how many times I’ve traded these questions back and forth with practically every person on this side of the building. 

The elevator drops me off at level five and I step out into the hall. My eyes adjust to the shiny pitch black walls lined with bright white lights that cover the entire floor. My boots thump softly against the black tiled floors as I head to the small room stationed on the left side of the floor. I open the small glass doors into the break room. A circle of couches surrounding a small coffee table sit in the middle of the room where there are always one or two people from this level sitting and working. Funny thing is, most people actually use the break room as a quiet place to get some work done, rather than to take an actual break. I use it every now and again. There’s no one here this early though. 

I walk over to the counter on the other side of the room and warm up the coffee pot. I grab myself a cup when I hear the door swing open and then closed.

“Hey, there she is.” I turn around and grin. One of my two friends, Finn, walks into the room, wearing the same brown leather jacket he wears everyday. We embrace as if we haven’t seen each other in weeks, even though we just saw each other Saturday. “Beginning of another grand week, huh?”

“Right,” I answer sarcastically.

“I’ll never be able to understand how you dragged me into these morning shifts,” he says, shaking his head at me in wonder. I hand him a cup.

“Well, maybe because you’re my best friend and you don’t want me to work alone?” He sighs as the coffee signals that it’s ready. I turn to pour myself a cup. 

“Yes yes, I know, I’m your humble servant.”

“Very funny,” I quip as I hand him the coffee pot.

Finn Storm has been my best friend ever since elementary school. Our relationship is quite interesting since he developed a crush on me only a few days after we met in the second grade. He was never brave enough to confess at the time, but I could tell. And I hadn’t known how to politely let him down. I love Finn to death, but just not in that way. Time wore it down eventually, and by fourth grade, it felt as if we were brother and sister. We eventually met Poe Dameron in middle school, who became my other best friend in surprisingly rapid time. I had a crush on him almost immediately. And to my and Finn’s surprise, so did Finn. Over the years, Poe and Finn eventually found their attraction to be mutual and are still together to this day. You’d think that would make my relationship with the two of them a bit awkward, but it honestly didn’t change anything between us. I adore how much they love each other and Finn finally confessed to me how much he liked me in elementary school, even though I secretly knew the entire time. So, the air was cleared, and through it all, I still have my two best friends, or my boys as I call them.

“I take it Poe was still asleep when you left?” I ask, though I know I don’t have to. I already know.

“Without a care in the world,” Finn answers, raising his eyebrows. 

Finn, Poe, and I all work in the charity department at First Order. I’ve been coming to work as early as I can since I first started working here five years ago, and Finn eventually followed suit. Poe however can’t wake up any time before nine am to save his life, so he comes in around ten thirty. 

“It’d take an atom bomb to wake that man up this early,” Finn says, glancing up at the clock on the wall. “He’s still snoring away now, no doubt.” I stir sugar into my coffee, rolling my eyes, but grinning.

“What are we going to do with him?” I ask quietly. 

“Beats me.” He takes a sip of his coffee and sighs again. “So. What’s on the agenda today?”

“We need to make sure everything is prepared for the special needs fundraiser,” I begin ticking things off to myself as I go along. “I have to talk with Leia about putting the crisis counseling centers in the local high schools, we have to finish the report for the end of the month by today, we have to begin planning for the presentation we’re giving at the Board meeting that is two weeks from now, and I have to call the children’s hospital sometime today to arrange the stuffed animal giveaway.” Finn stares at me with wide eyes, computing everything I just said into his brain.

“Ok,” he says, nodding. “Doesn’t sound particularly busy today then.” I shake my head.

“Not at all.” I’ve learned it’s good to keep a positive and fiercely proactive attitude in order to avoid drowning in stress.

We walk over to the counter in front of the window overlooking the busy main street of Coruscant. 

“So, I did it,” I say smugly, staring out over my cup into the misty clouded sky. 

“Did what?”

“I signed up for a night class.” 

“Really?” He looks astonished. “How in the hell are you going to have time for that?”

“Well, it’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays from eight to nine fifteen. I usually don’t stay too late on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I thought it should be just fine.”

“Where is it, at the University downtown?”

“Yep. It’s only about ten minutes away from my apartment building, so that’s a plus.”

“What class?”

“Cultural Anthropology,” I answer rather proudly. Finn takes a sip from his coffee, shaking his head.

“Sounds hard.”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to find out. It was that, Sociology, Gender Studies, or Comparative Religions, but those were all full.”

“I don’t see why you actually want to be stressed beyond belief.”

“This is going to help me with my stress,” I say pointedly. “I like having things to do. Just sitting around makes me feel anxious. Besides, it’d do me some good to learn about other cultures. Since, according to Leia, we might finally get the budget to bring our branch into other countries.” Finn nods, remembering.

Leia Organa, the head of the charity branch at First Order, has been fighting the dreaded corporate Board for a few years now in hopes of expanding the budget allowed for our department. It’s no surprise that most of the money goes toward the war, military, and weapons departments. As if there’s actually anything left to defend ourselves against.

“You’ll still be free on weekends, right?”

“Yes, I’ll still be free on weekends, Finn. To feel like a horribly out of place third wheel while I follow you and Poe around on your dates.”

“Hey, it’s just all of us goin’ out as friends, remember? Nothing awkward about it.”

“Yeah, I know. You know I love teasing you two.” 

I finish the last of my coffee and toss the paper cup into the trash. 

“Well, I’m afraid it’s that time.”

“Oh, boy,” Finn sighs. We both get up and head to the door that leads back out into the hallway. “Another day, another grind. What are we workin’ on first?”

“Let’s see who’s here first,” I say as we walk across the shiny black tiled hall to one of our work rooms and flick on the bright white lights. It’s a small, but functional room covered with the same black tile the rest of the floor has. It can fit about six people before becoming crowded and is used mostly for organizing our smaller projects. It’s empty at the moment. “Then we can see who’s available to do what.”

“Rey.” I turn to face Finn who has his arms across his chest. “No one’s here. Most people aren’t as crazy as you and come in at eight or nine like normal people.” I roll my eyes, but smile. Of course I know that most employees don’t come in until later. But I’ve always woken up earlier than most prefer and I figure that since I have nothing else to do, I’ll just go into work a bit early. And Leia tells me, because of my ‘natural dedication and work drive’, that is how I was promoted to assistant manager. 

“Can you just see if anyone’s in the main room? If not, I guess we’ll have to start up on finishing the report by ourselves.” Finn nods.

“Whatever you say, boss.” 

“I’m going to call the hospital before I forget,” I call back to him as he steps out into the hall and I turn to the phone on the wall on the side of the room. 

“Sounds good!” The door closes, filling the room with a dull silence broken only by the continuous humming of the lights in the ceiling. I set my purse down on the counter and rummage through one of the drawers a bit to find the number. My thumb flicks across the phone mounted to the wall after I do and wait I patiently for the other side to click. 

“Alderaan City Children's Hospital, how may I help you?”

“Hello, this is Rey Kenobi from First Order Incorporated. I sent you an email last week about confirming the stuffed animal drive?”

“Ah, yes! Let me put you on with the manager, one moment.”

“Thank you.” I glance down at my much too short nails as I wait. Poe’s always telling me it looks like I chew them even though I never have in my life. I just prefer them cut extremely short. 

“Ms. Kenobi?”

“Yes,” I answer, snapping my attention back. “This must be Ms. Holdo?”

“It is,” the woman on the other end confirms. 

“I was calling to inform you that the stuffed animal drive was incredibly successful and we’ve had nearly thousands of donations from all over the county. We’re ready to bring them over whenever is most convenient.”

“That’s fantastic! Thank you so much, really.”

“Oh please Ms. Holdo, it’s our job.”

“Well, we’re still incredibly grateful. How does this Saturday work? Early in the morning if possible.”

“That sounds perfect,” I reply, quickly glancing at the weekly schedule on the wall across from me. “We’ll have a truck deliver everything around… seven am?”

“That would be great,” Ms. Holdo answers.

“And I’ll have a few workers go along to help organize everything.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that Ms. Kenobi. Our staff can handle everything.”

“Are you sure? Usually we send three or four employees to go along and help with the giveaway.”

“Really, you’ve done so much for us already. And we’re more than well-staffed. Besides, I know our employees will love doing this for the kids.” I grin.

“Well, if you’re sure. Please let me know if you change your mind.”

“I will. Thank you again.”

“It’s our pleasure. I hope everything goes well.” We say our goodbyes and hang up. I mentally check it off my to do list and replace it with having to remind myself to tell Brandi and Aaron to have the truck loaded and ready to go by Saturday morning.

I step back out into the hall and walk down to the end, where our third workroom is. The biggest workroom we have, it’s a large brightly lit room with rows of windows on each side. We never need to turn on the lights until it gets dark because so much light pours in through the windows. A large conference table sits at the center and behind it on the back wall, a row of ten computers. The rest of the room is scattered with various supply drawers and a large projector screen on the wall over the computers. Finn is sitting at one of the computers on the end, probably looking at the end of the month report.

“How’s it looking?” I ask as I close one of the double doors behind me. He has a few files laid out beside him.

“Logging in the last of the volunteer work over in Malastare,” he says, typing as he goes along. “Other than that, I think I’m pretty much finished on my part.” 

“Good. I’ll have Rose and Jarod enter their part when they come in. Other than that, I’m pretty sure everyone’s finished. I told Leia I’d send it over to her by today.” I grab a large file I had placed on the desk by the door on Friday. “I have to fill out some of this paperwork for the Board meeting. When you’re done here, there’s a list of the potential high schools for the crisis counseling programs. I’ve already called a number of them, but could you call the rest that haven’t been checked off to ask if they’d be interested?”

“You got it,” he answers. I smile appreciatively before heading out the door back into the hall again.

I walk all the way back down to the see-through glass walls of the break room and swing open the silent glass door. There’s still no one here. I walk over to one of the couches and sit, placing the file on my lap in front of me and opening it up to start the mandatory paperwork all departments have to fill out before the trimester Board meetings. You basically have to outline your presentation, everything your department has done in the past four months, and what you’re ultimately asking from the Board to further support whatever direction the department is taking. And for our branch in particular, it takes a rigorous effort to convince them in giving us any more funding than we already have. I’ve never feared speaking in front of the Board because I’m usually incredibly opinionated in what I want and have no problem in letting the Board know how hard we work and what we deserve to give back to the people. I do however have Poe and this young woman named Jessika present along with me, because they also do well in staying cool under the pressure of public speaking. And it’d be a bit difficult to perform the entire presentation on my own.

I begin jotting down the names of the twenty two people who work in our department, all names I know by heart by now, when the door behind me pulls open. I immediately recognize the sound of the boots hitting the tiled floor. He comes in around eight everyday. I grip my pencil tighter in my hand as my eyes gaze up at the tall figure who brushes past me, dressed completely in black, like always.

Kylo Ren and I have disliked each other since the first day we met. I for one never understood why the military department was on the same floor as the charity department and I don’t think he likes it anymore than I do. It’s not that we each had immediate disdain for each other’s line of work. It was just a matter of the two of us being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I quite literally ran into him on my third day of work. I’d barely uttered an apology before receiving a quiet, yet annoyed “Watch where you’re walking!” before he strode off. Whenever I saw him from then on out, I watched him out of curiosity and saw he was basically like that with most people. He didn’t seem to like people at all very much. Not that he outright said it, but if you asked him, he’d probably confirm it. He seemed to get angered pretty easily as well. But a particular feud had started with us. We seemed to run into each other at least once a day ever since I was promoted and started spending more time here. Our ice cold silence we greeted each other with evolved into crude remarks we’d make just for the hell of it, I suppose. Him about my ‘never ending perkiness’ and me about his moody attitude. Over the year, these greetings had become almost like an obligation. It wasn’t exactly all the way to hateful, but I wouldn’t call it light hearted banter either.

I continue jotting my pencil on the paper in front of me while he turns to gaze his penetratingly black eyes at me.

“Well, if it isn’t the little charity scavenger,” he mocks in his low, dark voice. Scavenger. One of his favorite terms to use for me. _Because that’s what you are _he had answered after I questioned why he called me that._ You scavenge the world for any broken soul you can help._

_____ _

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_____ _

“If it isn’t the brooding dark lord,” I utter back. “You’d think by now we’d have come up with some new material. These cute little chats are becoming a bit boring.”

“Well old habits die hard,” he replies in his usual unamused yet almost taunting tone. “Besides, it’s hard to continually go about business as usual without somehow acknowledging your incessant need to become best friends with everyone you pass by in the hallway.”

“It’s called being polite, but I suppose that’s a bit of a foreign concept for you.”

“You do know that most people find it extremely annoying when some random woman comes walking down the hall and starts smiling and talking to you when you’re just trying to get shit done?”

“It’s better than brooding around all day and acting like I couldn’t care less about anyone.”

“I _couldn’t _care less about anyone,” he confirms. I roll my eyes again.__

____

____

“Well, excuse me. I should have known better than to ask.” He grabs his coffee from the counter and heads back toward the door while I refocus my attention back to the paperwork I hadn’t realized I’d stopped working on. “See you around, emo.”

“Your hair’s shorter.” I look up at him questioningly as he opens the door.

“What?” He turns back to face me, still holding the door open.

“You cut your hair,” he reiterates. “It’s shorter.” With that, he steps out into the hall and goes across the room to where the military department is. I touch a hand to my newly cut hair that hung loosely just touching the top of my shoulders. I’d gotten it cut on Sunday, only a couple inches shorter. I’d almost completely forgotten. I was going to ask Finn if it looked good.

The door swings open again and Brandi walks in, her highlighted blonde hair bouncing in a high ponytail as she swings her navy blue purse on her left arm and her keys in her hand. 

“You’re here,” I greet her, smiling as I brush my latest Kylo run-in from my thoughts.

“I am,” Brandi says proudly.

“How was your weekend?”

“So-so. My water heater malfunctioned again. Jace and I got in the shower and nearly received third degree burns.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah, it is not fun. We have the water heating company in there working all week, they can’t figure out what’s wrong.” 

“Well that sucks,” I say sympathetically. She waves her hand.

“Eh, another day another broken appliance. I’m used to it by now.” She narrows her eyes. “But now’s not the time. I have some work to do, am I right?”

“I just needed to tell you and Aaron to have the truck loaded and ready to go by Saturday morning for the stuffed animal giveaway. I called the hospital and they’re expecting seven thirty am, sharp.” Brandi nods.

“That works. Donations are still in the storage unit?”

“Yep.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry, Rey. That pesky water heater will wait it’s turn.”


	2. Chapter 2

Rey P.O.V

More and more people arrive after Brandi, as usual. Even though the average number of workers per department is about fifty, having only twenty two has its perks. We all know each other pretty well and that allows us to work easily together. It saves me a hell of a lot of stress for sure.

Poe arrives at his usual time and does his usual task of updating the website. I meanwhile spend the rest of my four hours before lunch working with a few others to set up the presentation. We’re able to establish a solid introduction and organize a lot of the main points.

Finally at twelve, half of us get our hour and a half for lunch. Finn, Poe, and I all head down to the lobby and then out across the street to the parking garage where we pile into Poe’s brown buick. Poe claims he only drives in style.

He zips out of his parking space and zooms off towards the exit. I cast a sideways glare at him. He’s always speeding off like he’s in some big hurry. The only reason I still allow myself to ride in a vehicle with him is because he’s somewhat of an expert at braking at just the right time and scanning ahead at where the best route to not get into a collision is. He treats it like some sort of a game.

“Did you buy us some good grub, Rey?” Poe half shouts over the radio that’s always playing in his car.

“I told you lazy bums, you eat at my house, you eat what’s in the fridge!” I call out, smiling. “I’m not your personal shopper.” Poe grins.

“Finn, I think she’s tryin’ to get rid of us!” he calls back to where Finn is sitting in the back seat. 

“What, so she could have a peaceful lunch without having to listen to you complain?” Finn asks. “Never.”

“Imagine how bored I’d be,” I reply, glancing out the window. 

“I know, you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself,” Poe agrees as he reaches down to the console and cranks the radio up five notches. “I freaking love this song!” I laugh as Finn leans back in his seat. I can’t hear him, but I’m sure he’s uttering his typical _Here we go again _that he does whenever Poe gets started on one of his favorite songs. Which is pretty much every song ever. Poe slams his fist on the steering wheel along with the beat. It’s Bodies by Drowning Pool, so I can’t help but laugh and rock out with him as Finn watches us with concern from the back seat.__

__* * *_ _

__We all leap out of the elevator that leads to my floor as if we’re school children, then hurry along the familiar route to apartment 212. We always go to my apartment for lunch because it’s only about seven minutes away from work, where their building is closer to fifteen minutes away. I pull out my key and unlock the door and we all shuffle in. Finn and I walk straight ahead to where the kitchen is while Poe hops over to the counter that connects to the wall separating the kitchen from the living room. I open the fridge and grab a yogurt. Finn grabs two and tosses one to Poe._ _

__“So no one has commented on my hair all day,” I say pointedly as I grab some bread from the cabinet. “Did you two even notice?” Poe jumps up, pointing at me excitedly._ _

__“I_ knew _it looked different! It’s shorter, isn’t it?”__

____“Yeah,” I nod, grabbing the peanut butter and looking back at Poe through the window that connects the bar to the kitchen._ _ _ _

____“Really?” Finn asks, staring at me confusedly. “It looks the same to me.”_ _ _ _

____“Well, I didn’t cut it too much short. Just about an inch and a half.”_ _ _ _

____“Damn, I’m surprised I noticed,” Poe says, reaching for a banana from the fruit bowl sitting on the ledge. “Rey, you mind hookin’ me up with some toast?”_ _ _ _

____“Toaster’s right there next to the microwave,” I say, gesturing behind me. He grins, getting up from the stool he was sitting on and walking around into the kitchen._ _ _ _

____“One day I’m gonna trick you into doing everything for me so I can sit around and do nothing.”_ _ _ _

____“He already does that with me every damn day,” Finn says, grabbing the jar peanuts and heading around towards the counter._ _ _ _

____“Are my nails too long?” I ask mindlessly as I peer down at them while slathering some peanut butter on two slices of bread._ _ _ _

____“Oh, for sure,” Poe says, sliding a piece of bread into the toaster. “They look ten inches long, what are you, a witch?” I sneer playfully at him and punch his arm._ _ _ _

____“Your nails are fine, Rey, as usual,” Finn says pointedly._ _ _ _

____“They always feel too long. I guess I prefer them to be non existent.”_ _ _ _

____“So cut ‘em hella short,” Poe says, staring at the toaster as if telepathically telling it to hurry the hell up._ _ _ _

____“When you cut them too short, they look all weird,” Finn says. “Like you chewed them off. At least that’s what happens to me.”_ _ _ _

____“Well, lucky for me, I can put nail polish on to cover it up after I cut them,” I say, deciding to myself I’d do just that when I get home tonight, even though my nails are probably too short already. I can’t help it though. It just feels like they get in the way too much._ _ _ _

____“Damn, I wish I had that outlet,” Finn says, shaking his head as he takes a handful of peanuts._ _ _ _

____“You can borrow my stuff anytime,” I promise him teasingly._ _ _ _

____“Very funny.”_ _ _ _

____“I think you’d look great with your nails painted, buddy,” Poe says, impatience getting the better of him as he pushes the bread up from the toaster himself. “I can see you with a deep magenta, myself.”_ _ _ _

____“Ok, laugh it up you two,” Finn says as Poe and I giggle to ourselves. But Finn can never keep himself from smiling when we laugh, and soon a small grin appears across his lips._ _ _ _

____“Guess who I had the pleasure of crossing paths with this morning,” Poe says, the pleasantness dropping from his tone as he and I sit down the the counter on either side of Finn._ _ _ _

____“Who?” we both ask._ _ _ _

____“Our good ol’ friend Hux.” Finn and I both groan. Armitage Hux was an uptight, snobby rich boy who worked in the military department. He and Poe have been arch enemies ever since Poe’s first day when Hux had seen him and made his typical pinched up disgusted face, commenting on how they let any old trash off the street into the building these days. Poe wasn’t sure if this was a comment on his clothes or a comment on his race, but either way, he was pissed and shot something right back at him. Hux didn’t much appreciate being called an ‘uppity, highfalutin a-hole’, so needless to say, ever since then, the two have not gotten along. I’ve had a few unfortunate run-ins with Hux myself and they have not been pleasant. I honestly prefer my run-ins with Kylo. Funny that Kylo and Hux both co-manage the military department, but seem to despise each other as well._ _ _ _

____“I hope you told him to shove his snide remarks up his pompous ass,” Finn scorns angrily. “I swear, if I ever hear him talking to you like that again, I’m gonna beat him to a pulp.”_ _ _ _

____“I’ll be right there with you,” I agree. “Poe, I told you he was gonna come after you after you kept calling him Hugs at that last board meeting.”_ _ _ _

“I couldn’t resist,” Poe laughs. “Come on, it was funny. I mean did you _see _him? His face turned the same shade as his hair!” Finn and I burst out laughing, because it’s totally true.__

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______“Well, don’t worry, you’re not alone,” I tell Poe after we’ve all calmed down. “I had another Kylo run-in this morning.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oooooo,” Poe and Finn both chuckle._ _ _ _ _ _

______“How is he?” Poe asks. “Same as always? You know, emo as fuck?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’ve got it,” I say, pointing at him and winking._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What’d he say?” Finn asks._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, you know, it was just our usual conversation. I’m too perky, he’s too moody… then we parted ways.” I don’t know why I didn’t want to tell them about him noticing my hair._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Damn, these are startin’ to get to be on the daily now,” Poe notices._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know. It’s like part of my morning routine. It’s on my check list and I don’t even know it.” We all laugh and Finn shakes his head._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, that’s two of our favorite people. But has anyone seen Phasma today?” Poe and I shake our heads no._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thank the stars,” Poe says. “I don’t think I could take another one.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“She at least stays as far away from us as she can,” I say. “Though I think she just has it out for Finn.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I don’t understand!” Finn exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. “All I did was accidentally step in front of one of those little soldiers that always follow her around, then apologized and got out of the way.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Which caused everyone behind him to bump into him and the carts they were hauling fell over like a domino effect,” I add, thinking that was a rather contributing detail that caused Phasma’s disdain for him._ _ _ _ _ _

“I tried to help,” he insists. “But she looked at me like she was going to freaking _murder _me.” Poe laughs, patting Finn on the shoulder sympathetically.__

____

____

________“Yeah, she’s an interesting one,” I say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“The military department is run by a bunch of assholes,” Poe comments, as if just realizing this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That ain’t no lie,” Finn agrees. “I swear, if Phasma calls me a scum one more time…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And if Hux trash talks my lack of pompousness one more time… you know what, screw it. Fux, his new name is Fux, that’s what we’re calling him.” Finn and I nearly fall out of our seats laughing, amazed at how we’d never thought of coming up with that one before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m headin’ out,” Finn says as I finish up another slide for the presentation. It’s five pm now, the time most of the employees head out. Poe and a couple others who come in later stay until seven. I usually stay until nine or until all my work is finished._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Alright. We’ll meet up tomorrow, same time, same place.” He grins._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Ok.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I promise I won’t keep your man away too late,” I say, standing up from my seat at the computer and following Finn out into the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, you better not.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Cross my heart. I’ll follow you out, I’m gonna go up to talk to Leia.” We both walk down the hall, past the break room and to the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“.... you’re overreacting, as usual. You’re not the only one who gets to make decisions around here you know.” Finn presses the button for the elevator while I look over down the military hall. Kylo Ren and a guy named Rob Leavy who works in his department are standing outside one of their workrooms, looking to be in a rather heated argument. Kylo, being much taller, leers over the man, looking at him in a strange way, Kylo looks at pretty much everyone dismissively, but with Rob he looks almost as if he’s trying to hold back a murderous glare._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“But I _am _the assistant manager of this department,” Kylo says in a frighteningly quiet tone as I look away, not wanting to pry. But it’s hard not to overhear. “And I want to know why we’ve sent hundreds of troops to the line without knowing what we’re up against.”__

____

____

__________“We’re not risking Outer Rim enemies taking over our Geonosian base-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s not procedure. You didn’t have my permission, and this isn’t the first time.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m doing my job. I am protecting our borders-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Those borders are thousands of miles away and can be dealt with accordingly without sending hundreds of men and women out there before knowing what the problem is. This won’t happen again, Leavy.” The elevator finally bings and the doors slide open before Finn and I step in. He presses the button to the Main Offices floor and then the button for the ground floor. The doors slide closed and we both glance at each other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well that sounded like a lovely exchange,” Finn says, raising his eyebrows. “Glad I don’t work in that branch.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I can’t imagine having to work for _him _,” I grit.__

____

____

____________“That Leavy guy always has seem a bit… impulsive though, you know? Like, maybe he wants to take Kylo and Hux’s job?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I don’t know,” I shrug. “I’ve only ran into him once or twice. He isn’t as…. _dismissive _as the other charming people from that department, I’ll give him that. But he does seem like he wants to do things his own way. But who doesn’t?” The elevator reaches the Main Offices floor and I step out. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”__

____

____

______________“Ok, Reyzy.” I smile and roll my eyes at his old nickname for me. We wave to each other as the doors close and he heads down. I turn and walk down the hall toward Leia’s office._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I walk down the long hallway, hearing the muffled buzz of work coming from the interior of the hundreds of offices in charge of each branch in the building. I stop when I reach the third to last door before the hallway turns to the second long row of doors that reads _Head of Department of Charity _. I open the heavy brown door and walk into the glittering shiny main office. Leia likes to keep flowers everywhere she can and even has a large stone waterfall on the wall of the marble walled room. She grew up in Alderaan and claims the naturistic surroundings make her feel more at home. I can’t deny how peaceful they make the office seem.__

____

____

________________I walk up to the big round desk at the center of the room where Kelly D’Acy, Leia’s secretary, sits typing something into her computer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh, Rey,” she greets, smiling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hi, Kelly,” I smile back. “I had a five o’clock appointment to see Leia?” She glances down at the clipboard in front of her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Ah… yes, she just finished a meeting now. You can head in.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Thank you.” I turn and walk toward the double brown doors that lead into Leia’s private office. I slowly push one of the doors open, walking inside to find Leia standing behind her desk that sits in front of a large glass window that overlooks an incredibly large chunk of Coruscant._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________She grins warmly as I step towards her desk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hello, Rey.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Leia,” I greet her back, smiling. I always have to catch myself before instinctively calling her Ms. Organa, which she hates._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“How is everything? Are you doing alright?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’m great, everything’s been great. We’ve finished the report, we’ve practically finished the presentation, the giveaway for the hospital is all set up-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I meant with you, Rey,” Leia laughs, shaking her head. “How are things with _you _?”__

____

____

__________________“Me… well, I’ve been doing good. I… I signed up for a night class.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“That’s great! Are you sure you’re not going to be too overworked with that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Leia, you wouldn’t have made me assistant manager if I couldn’t handle a busy schedule. Besides, I like having things to do.” Leia nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Mm hm, and it’s good your getting your mind out of here,” she says pointedly. “You know, your entire life doesn’t have to revolve around this place.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What else do I have to do?” I ask, shrugging. “And I really love the work here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I know, I know. I do too. And it’s important that we’re all devoted to it. But Rey… you stay until nine pm almost every night. That’s what time _I _start heading out.” I smile bashfully and shake my head as she laughs. “Ah, you’ve always been one of my hardest workers, Rey.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“But I assume you came to talk business.” My face quickly becomes somber and I straighten up, mostly just out of habit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes, I wanted to talk to you about the counseling centers we were discussing last week.” Leia sits down and I take the seat across from her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Of course. You’re still interested in pursuing that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes!” I answer quickly. “I think it’s a perfect idea. We’ve made calls to numerous high schools like you asked, and the response was an overwhelming yes. I believe it could really help a lot of the students if they have somewhere to go and someone to talk to that isn’t school funded.” Leia nods, and I can tell she’s been considering all of this. Honestly, the pursuit would be an immediate go, if it weren’t for the big problem that’s stopping Leia from giving that order._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“It’ll take a considerable amount of funding,” she says. “Even if we hold a dozen fund raisers.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“We could ask the Board at the meeting,” I suggest. “Maybe if there’s actually a group of us instead of just one person explaining how much good this will do, they’d actually take a moment to consider it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“That’s a beautiful theory,” she replies resignedly. “But I’m afraid it won’t make much of a difference with them.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Why not? I mean… how do you know?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Rey, I meet with the Board every week. You only get a taste of them every four months, but you know what they’re like. Their main concern just isn’t where ours is. They’re focused on military strength and expanding the state further and further.” I look down at my knees, biting my lip. Of course I know that. Everyone does._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Leia looks at me indecisively then folds her hands together, placing them on her desk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’ll see what I can do,” she promises. “Though I doubt they’ll want to hear much from me. If you want to see what you can do at the Board meeting, you have my full support to do so.” I grin half heartedly. “You know I want this as much as you do,” she says, lowering her voice and leaning forward slightly. “But it really has to be touch and go at this point. We’re already not getting the amount of funding required to run a whole department.” I nod, already well aware of the corrupt system._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I understand. But I do really think we need to continue to stand up for ourselves.” Leia smiles to herself, as if remembering something fondly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I agree. And you’re one hell of an arguer, Rey. Who knows, maybe they will listen to you.” I smile gratefully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Thank you, Leia.” We both stand and she walks over to a filing cabinet on the other side of the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Now, you go finish what you need to do, and get home at a decent hour,” she says, narrowing her eyes. “That’s an order.” I grin and roll my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes, ma’am.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Once I get back to my floor, I go to the break room to have dinner with Poe and the rest of the employees who are staying late. We find a big pot of lasagna in the fridge. After we’ve eaten, we go back to our main work room and start working on preparing for the special needs fundraiser. We’re going to hold a pizza and ice cream event next Friday and have all proceeds go towards funding special needs educational facilities. Of course, our given budget isn’t nearly enough, but we made it work._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’ll go to the store and buy all the items tomorrow,” I say, scribbling down what all the estimated prices will come down to._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I have some old decorations somewhere that we can use,” Poe volunteers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Who’s on set up?” a young woman named Jaia asks. She’s our newest employee, having only been here a little over two months._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Jessika, Finn, Mark, and Cressida are on set up,” I answer. “They’ll be there at around eight thirty and the rest of you who can make it will show up around one when we start selling and stay for clean up.” Poe nods, putting his hands up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Sounds good to me,” he says. “I’ll bring in what I can from home, I’m sure I’ve got some old banners and plates and cups we’ve never used. If not, I’ll drive on over to the store tomorrow morning.” He glances up at the clock on the wall. “Good lord, it’s almost seven! That’s my cue.” The remaining employees nod in agreement as they all begin gathering their things._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, we got a lot done today,” I say approvingly. “Good job, everyone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“And you’re heading out too, right?” Cressida asks challengingly as she pulls on her coat. I grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No, I have a few things I need to do first-” I’d barely finished before everyone starts either groaning or laughing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Same old Rey,” Mark says, shaking his head. “That’s really just code for, I’m staying another two hours.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Hey, I have a lot of responsibilities on my hands,” I say defensively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, listen, if you stay past ten again, Finn and I are comin’ down and dragging you out kicking and screaming,” Poe says, narrowing his eyes at me as everyone starts heading out the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, half smiling up at him. He snatches up his car keys and heads for the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Whatever, see you in the am, Reyzy.” I roll my eyes and wave him off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Bye.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Indeed, I did have quite a bit of work to get done. There was always arrangements needing to be made, budgets to calculate, events to plan out, paperwork to finish. I suppose nothing is exactly a necessity to get done tonight, but I’ve always liked to get a nice bit of work done while I linger in the few hours the offices are empty. I wish I could have the entire floor empty, but the military sector always goes way late into the night, though less noisy since most employees leave around five or six._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Once the clock is a couple minutes away from hitting nine pm, I begrudgingly force myself to start putting everything away and gathering my things. I leave the filing room and go out into the now quiet hallway. I hear someone walking down the tiled floor on the other side of the breakroom as I’m making sure all the lights are turned off in all the workrooms. I walk out into the open hallway and see Rob Leavy stopping near the break room looking like he’s trying not to scream at something. He glances up quickly when he notices me walking past._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Rey,” he says, nodding towards me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Hey, Rob,” I greet back awkwardly, not sure whether or not I should ask him if everything’s ok. “Rough day?” He raises his eyebrows, staring heatedly at the ground._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“One could say that.” I nod understandingly before pressing the button for the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I guess the first day of the week usually is,” I reply quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, it would be a whole lot better if-” I turn to glance at him when he suddenly stops, looking as if he can’t put into words what he wants to say, or maybe is hesitant to. “Never mind. Have a nice night.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You too.” He walks off down the hall where I catch a glance of Kylo standing at the end of as the elevator door opens. I look at him oddly as I walk into the elevator and hit the lobby button. He seemed to be staring at me. How long had he been watching? _Why _had he been watching?__

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____

______________________I shake my head as the elevator begins to move down. He’s probably just trying to bug me. Maybe he had come up with a clever sarcastic quip and he was waiting for me to start our little spat again so he could say it to me. To be honest, that’s happened to me a few times._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Kylo P.O.V_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

For some reason, I keep my eyes on her, even when she turns briefly to me and catches me staring. I watch her slowly walk into the elevator, a slightly puzzled look on her face. I grin to myself after she’s gone. _Such a funny little scavenger. How I enjoy bugging the hell out of her. _As much as I pretend to be annoyed by her, she’s very much unintentionally one of the highlights of coming to this idiotic place. Just watching her get more and more irritated as I mess up her perfect little day is enough to make mine.__

____

____

__

__

________________________Leavy stops in front of me and my amused glance soon melts into a glare._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Were there any other _problems _, Ren?” he asks, the venom in his voice more than present.__

____

____

__________________________“So long as you start to follow my orders, no,” I answer, matching his tone. He grits his teeth and nods slightly before brushing past me back into the control room with as much dignity as he can muster. I turn to watch him go, crunching my hands into fists._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Leavy. I’ll have to do something about him. Technically, as of now, Snoke says I have no grounds to terminate his nuisance of employment, but I’ll get a reason eventually. Maybe when soldiers actually end up dying because of his incompetence. Or perhaps I’ll catch him stealing all those funds that magically always disappear when he’s been in the accounts, or getting all grabby with the female employees as I hear he’s been known to do. Maybe I’ll even catch him slipping up with that water bottle that Phasma suspects is filled with something else. Her suspicion isn’t enough to search him, but it’s enough to have me convinced. Phasma’s no moron and she has as much disdain for the bastard as I do. One way or another, I’ll find a way to get rid of him. I mean, Hux is a irritable little prick, but at least _he’s _not a complete idiot.__

I turn back down the hall as I hear someone approaching. _Speak of the annoying devil._

____

____

_____ _

_____ _

______________________________“Snoke wants to see you,” Hux says in his usual impertinent tone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“If it’s for another scolding, you can tell him I don’t want to hear it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“You know he doesn’t like it when you keep threatening Leavy. He’s one of the highest ranking officers-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“He’s also completely inept at his job.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Snoke doesn’t think so," Hux responds haughtily._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Well I do. Snoke sits in his office all day, I’m the one who has to work with the little shit.” Hux smirks, always enjoying my never ending fury with Snoke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“You’re not the Head of this department,” he responds. “Though I’m sure Snoke would be very interested to hear your displeasure with your current lack of power.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“You’ve already threatened me with that one before, Hux,” I say, turning on him and grinning slightly when he steps back in surprise. “You know as well as I do they can’t fire me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“They can bust you down to an underpaid intern if you piss Snoke off enough.” I raise my eyebrows at the ignorant little brat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I wouldn’t worry about me pissing Snoke off,” I say calmly. “I’d worry more about a certain assistant manager slithering around where he doesn’t belong and trying sneak Snoke’s position right out from under him.” Hux’s features turn as red as his hair for a moment, probably trying to figure out some pathetic excuse. I stare him down, waiting, but he just scowls and walks off. _Typical._

__It’d be nice if I could get Hux out of the way and run this shit by myself. But Hux’s father had been a huge contributor to the department back in the day, and apparently his money had weaseled his snippy little son into the business as well. And Hux being the golden boy that he is has kissed up to Snoke from day one, whereas I’ve always told Snoke to bite me. So there’s no way in hell they’re going to fire him. Unless I find some way to expose Hux’s motive which I have no actual proof of. But I swear, I’ll jump off a building before I let Hux become my freaking boss. As will the whole department._ _


	3. Chapter 3

Rey P.O.V

“I’m going out in a little bit to get everything for next Friday,” I tell Finn as I hand him a pile of papers.

“Pizza thing’s next Friday?” he asks, taking the papers. “What are these for?”

“They’re advertisements for the pizza thing that, yes, is next Friday. You and Jessika can put them up wherever you can, all around town.”

“K. How are we looking on the end of the month report?”

“Finished and submitted. Now all we have to do today is finish preparing for this fundraiser and we really need to think about how we’re going to talk to the Board about the crisis counseling.” Finn laughs, but his eyes narrow, as if he’s afraid I might have temporarily lost my mind.

“You don’t talk to the Board, you present to them. There’s no iota of communication.”

“Well, maybe I can change that.”

“Rey,” he starts, shaking his head quickly as a few employees bustle around us out of the breakroom, “I know you are an extremely confident young woman, but this is going a little over the edge, wouldn’t you say?”

“No. I’m the assistant manager, I think I deserve to have my opinion heard.”

“It’s Leia’s job to give them our opinion.”

“They’re not listening to Leia.”

“Well holy hell, what makes you think they’ll listen to you then? That’s my point!”

“Leia is just one person. One person they’ve been hearing from for years. We all know they don’t respect her wishes. Maybe their minds will change when they hear it coming from someone else. A few new, fresh voices rather than just one.” Finn grins half heartedly, but I can tell he has no faith in any of this at all.

“If they were reasonable people, I’d say that would work for sure. But everyone knows the Board is filled with a bunch of corrupt assholes.”

“Better not say things like that too loudly,” I whisper teasingly. “You’ll be out on your ass.”

“Oh please, Leia would never fire me. She told me I was adorable, remember?” I laugh, but my face turns somber when I see Finn’s eyes darken slightly as he stares behind me. 

“What?” I ask quietly.

“Jerk alert,” he answers, still staring at whoever is behind me. I hear whoever it is begin to speak before I turn completely around to see who it is.

“Well, what do you know?” Kylo starts in a detached tone. “The scavenger.”

“Well, if it isn’t the prince of darkness,” I answer back, crossing my arms over my chest. I glance up at the clock on the wall. “A bit later than usual.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I had a… meeting.”

“I see,” I say, grinning slightly. “You had a… disagreement with someone then?”

“More of a conversation,” he answers back, though even he doesn’t sound like he’s trying to hide anything. Kylo was always having ‘meetings’ with fellow employees.

“You know, perhaps if you weren’t so angry at the world, less people would piss you off. Then you wouldn’t have to attend so many ‘meetings’ and you would always be on time for work, no matter what.” He stares at me, grabbing some things from the cabinets, and to my surprise, I can almost see that faintest hint of… _a grin? ___

__“Well, we can’t all be like you, Miss Kenobi. I don’t immediately trust and adore every single person I meet.”_ _

__“You speak as if you just know everything about me.”_ _

__“Oh, I think I do.” I shake my head and walk towards the door, Finn following behind me._ _

__“I’m sure you believe that,” I say, smiling nonchalantly and nodding towards him. “See you around, Ren.” I walk out into the hall, unwilling to let him have the last word this time. Finn walks up beside me as we both head for the main workroom._ _

__“Why do you put up with that guy?” he asks, glancing behind us, as if he were afraid Kylo might be trailing behind. “Why don’t you just ignore him?”_ _

__“Oh, don’t worry about him, Finn. He talks and acts a big game, but you just have to know how to handle him.”_ _

__“Why does he say those things to you?”_ _

__“Come on Finn, you can’t take him so seriously,” I say, laughing as I open the door to the workroom. “That’s exactly what he wants. People to be afraid of him. I’m not, and he hates it.”_ _

__I swing the door open and we both walk in to find Rose, Mark, and a couple others already here._ _

__“Here, I know this will make you happy,” I say, sitting beside Finn as he seats himself at the large conference table and begins shifting through the advertisements._ _

__“What?” he asks, sounding distracted._ _

__“I’m starting my class tonight, so I’m going to leave here at six.” This coming from my mouth even gets the attention from a few other people in the room. Finn snaps his head towards me, his mouth hanging open. I have to giggle at him for a moment._ _

__“And how do those words taste coming out of your mouth?” he asks, as some others chuckle._ _

__“Pretty freaking weird,” I admit. I don’t think I’ve left that early since….”_ _

__“Since two years ago,” Rose pipes up from her place across from us. We look over at her and I laugh softly._ _

__“Ok, I get it, I’m a bit of a work freak,” I accept._ _

__“But that’s why you’re the boss, boss,” Mark says from across the room. I grin at him._ _

__“Well, thanks.”_ _

__* * *_ _

__Well, I kept to my word. I left the office at six pm sharp. Poe even called me to make sure I was on my way home before I’d even gotten to the parking garage. And I even caught Kylo looking more than quite caught off guard when he saw me leaving that early. That made me smugly happy of course._ _

__So, I go home, eat some dinner, then watch the news for a bit. Highway accident in Canto Bight sends three people to the hospital, burglary in a quiet neighborhood in Kamino, young girl missing, three teens vandalize a high school…. News is never good._ _

__After about fifteen minutes of that, I get a few things together and head over to the university around seven forty. It’s in a downtown part of Coruscant called Bespin. So far from the rabid city, most people consider it a town all of its own nicknamed Cloud City mostly because of the abundance of cloudy smoke in the air from the numerous gas mines they have set up. It is a fairly populated city, but not nearly as buzzing as the main part of Coruscant._ _

__I pull into the student parking lot, making sure my parking pass is visible on the dashboard. I grab my notebook and pencil, feeling an odd wave of nostalgia as I step out of the car. I haven’t been in school since senior year of high school. I thought about going to college, but the internship at First Order had come up, and I knew that was what I wanted to focus on. I never had much time for anything else._ _

__I glance down at my phone as I walk to the far side of the building, going through the side door to the stairwell. Room A37. Just up the first flight of stairs, second door down the hall on the right side. I decided to play it smart and memorize where the room was the day I signed up rather than having to stumble around with some school map on the first day of class. I walk up the stairs, thankful that the sun has mostly gone down, otherwise the glare shining through the glass walls and onto the polished white interior of the corridor would have made for a most blinding trip up to the second floor._ _

__I step onto the second floor to see handfuls of students, all around my age, going in and out of classes or sitting on the wooden benches outside of the rooms waiting for the professor to arrive._ _

__I walk up to A37 and look down at my phone. It’s only seven fifty five, but I head in anyway once I try the door and find it unlocked. I walk into a rather small classroom, completely empty aside from, whom I assume is the professor, sitting at his desk in front of a large smartboard. He looks up at me with a startled yet curious expression when I come in, and I tentatively walk over to the rows of desks, not sure if he wants me in here yet._ _

__“I’m sorry, the door was unlocked,” I explain when he continues to look at me oddly. “I know the class starts at eight, but I just figured-”_ _

__“No, no, it’s fine,” he says quickly, standing up from his desk. He’s quite young looking for a college professor. He smiles, as if in disbelief and takes off his glasses. He has extremely prominent blue eyes and short brown hair with a blonde tint to it that went down and across his face as well. For some reason the professional looking white button up shirt and red tie look like more of a costume on him than a work uniform. He’s actually quite… attractive. “Most people are at least five minutes late anyways,” he continues, stepping around his desk towards me. “It’s nice to have someone make the effort to be on time. Or show up at all.”_ _

__“Well, I signed up for the class, I think I owe it to your time to show up,” I answer. He grins, again looking a bit surprised._ _

__“Well, you know this is an elective class, so I suppose most of these kids take that as code for not having to attend, but pass anyway.” I laugh._ _

__“I guess you’re right. Although, this is my only class, so I think you can count on me to take it seriously.” He narrows his eyes in confusion. “I’m not officially enrolled here, I just signed up for the one class,” I explain. “I figured it’d give me something culturally stimulating rather than just focusing on work twenty four seven.” He grins, shaking his head._ _

__“You talk like you’re already thirty years old.”_ _

__“Feels like that sometimes,” I agree._ _

__“Where do you work?” he asks, placing his arms across his chest, as if he’s actually curious._ _

__“First Order,” I answer. “Charity.”_ _

__“Really. How’d you manage to land such a good spot there?”_ _

__“I got an internship,” I say, shrugging. “Right after high school. I just rode it out until a paying position opened up. And pretty soon… things just took off from there.”_ _

__“Well, you’re extremely lucky. Most young adults aren’t offered that option. Too busy partying and not giving a damn I suppose.” I raise my eyebrows and nod._ _

__“That’s probably true. But I guess that’s never really been my thing, not giving a damn.” He smiles and extends his hand._ _

__“I’m Joe by the way. Joseph Evans.”_ _

__“Rey,” I greet him back, shaking his hand. “Rey Kenobi. I suppose I’ll be taking your class for the next semester.” The door suddenly opens and a group of students walk in clutching bags and notebooks._ _

__“I guess it’s that time,” Mr. Evans says quietly. I nod and he turns back to his desk while I head over to one of the desks in the first row on the right side of the classroom. It’s only a couple minutes past eight before the room is semi full. Mr. Evans wasn’t lying evidently, seeing as there are a lot of empty spots throughout the rows of desks. There are one or two older looking students, but most of the class is filled with people my age or younger and most likely enrolled in the school as hinted at by their filled to the brim book bags and laptops._ _

__“Good evening, students,” Mr. Evans starts as if he’s performed the speech numerous times and has become quite unamused by it. “As you know, this is a beginners Cultural Anthropology course. I am Mr. Evans, your professor for the semester. We will be covering the most important topics in human societal development throughout different cultures without going into specific details in each one. Those will be covered should you decide to pursue this endeavor and proceed to an advanced course.” He stops for a moment, looking behind him towards the door as two young men run in, laughing quietly and looking a bit out of breath. The class giggles quietly as Mr. Evans looks at them pointedly until they calm down and find a couple empty seats. “As I was saying,” he continues, grinning to himself. “This is an elective class. Being that it is and the course is not advanced, there will be little written assignments.” The class sighs in relief. “We will be putting a heavier focus on discussion rather than relaying information I’ve already preached to you.”_ That’ll be interesting. _Apparently a lot of people agree, or they’re just glad they won’t get anymore homework. The class practically cheers and a few people even bang on their desks and holler. I look around, unable to keep myself from laughing along with them. Mr. Evans even smiles as he waves his hands, trying to calm everyone down. “I know, I know, it’s a pretty good deal for you.” He glances toward me, shaking his head. I grin back. “Now if we could all come back down again, we can get started.”__

____The class mostly consisted of him outlining what we are going to be covering over the next six months. Mostly things like religion in different societies, marriage in different societies, etc. It looks really interesting actually. I can’t wait to spout off my new found knowledge to Finn and Poe. And tell them how good looking the professor is._ _ _ _

____After he’s run us through everything we’re going to cover and how the class is going to work, it’s somehow already nine pm. Everyone stands up and collects all their things before scrambling out the door. I shove my notebook in my purse then follow the rapidly diminishing line out the door._ _ _ _

____“So I can expect to see you back Thursday?” I turn and see Mr. Evans sitting back at his desk._ _ _ _

____“Sure thing,” I reply, grinning._ _ _ _


	4. Chapter 4

Rey P.O.V

“They said _what?! _” I exclaim in disbelief. Finn sighs, shaking his head.__

__“They told her she can’t make a request of more than a thousand more dollars for budgeting.” I put my hands to my forehead, unable to believe what I’m hearing._ _

“Finn, every single department gets an increase of at _least _twenty thousand every month!”__

____

____

____“You don’t think I know that? But Leia said the accountants did the math, and we need budget cuts. Apparently the charity and employment departments are the places to do that. They all took a vote, and it’s final.”_ _ _ _

____“Stars, Leia must be fuming.”_ _ _ _

____“She is. She told me when I ran into her this morning that I should tell you right away before you heard it from someone else. I don’t even think she wanted to talk about it that much. But anyway, that leaves the counseling programs out of the question completely.”_ _ _ _

____“Yep,” I nod, feeling like punching a wall. “I mean, we’ll have to worry if we can even get by with our usually scheduled programs.”_ _ _ _

____“Hey, don’t worry,” Finn says reassuringly, putting an arm around me and staring at me with wide eyes. “Everything’s gonna work itself out, it always does, right?” I shake my head with incredulity._ _ _ _

____“I just can’t even believe the stupidity of the people who run this damn corporation.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, you’re not the only one.”_ _ _ _

____“I mean, how does it function with these assholes in charge without it collapsing to the freaking ground?”_ _ _ _

____“Well good morning Rey of sunshine,” I hear a familiar voice greet amusedly from behind me._ _ _ _

____“Good morning, Happiness,” I spit back sarcastically, rolling my eyes. He laughs in infuriating dark amusement._ _ _ _

____“My my, we are fiery this morning,” Kylo continues, leaning up against the counter as I turn to face him. “What happened, someone hurt your feelings?” He really is getting a kick out of this. On one hand, it’s oddly the happiest I’ve ever seen him, on the other hand, I want to punch him in the face._ _ _ _

____“It’s nothing you’d understand,” I tell him venomously. He nods._ _ _ _

“Oh, I’m sure.” I think of saying something back to him, but then just decide to drop it. _Whatever. He can have the last word today. _I turn back to Finn, grabbing my coffee from the table and taking a sip.__

____

____

______“On a better note, I started my class last night,” I say._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s right!” Finn says after pulling his narrowed gaze away from Kylo. “How was it?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I think it’s going to be really good. It’s gonna be a lot of discussion rather than essays and stuff, you know?” I hear Kylo shuffling around behind us._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s great. Do you know what you’re gonna learn about, all that stuff?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, mostly how different cultures grow and function. How they view institutions like marriage, religion, and norms differently, all that kind of stuff.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Damn, You’re gonna be an expert on the world, girl. You’re gonna have to school me and Poe.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh believe me, I will.” I stir my coffee mindlessly while glancing out the window looking over the city. “The professor’s pretty good looking as well.” Finn raises his eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Is that so?” I grin and roll my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes, but don’t look at me like that.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How old is he?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“He said he’s almost forty, but I don’t think I believe him. He looks early thirties to me. Very handsome too.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Is it possible Rey Kenobi might finally get a boyfriend?" Finn goads._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, don’t be ridiculous Finn, he’s my teacher!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Young college professors go out with their students all the time.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, really?” He nods, eyes wide while he takes a sip of his mocha. “Well anyway, we talked for a bit before class, and he seems really nice.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do you think he’s into you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How should I know?!” I ask, laughing in disbelief. I suddenly notice Kylo has become incredibly silent. “Look, we’d better get started, we have a lot of work to do.”_ _ _ _ _ _

“Ok,” Finn answers as I stand up from my seat and he follows. “But we have to tell Poe about your new crush.” I walk over to the door, looking towards Kylo out of the corner of my eyes. He’s still standing at the counter, seemingly staring at something on the wall. He’s very still and looks like he’s deep in thought. _What’s up with him?_

____

____

________“Do whatever you want, Finn, but I told you, I’m not ready for a boyfriend.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You’re twenty three, when _are _you going to be ready?!”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kylo P.O.V_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I stare at her indecisively as she sits at the small table by the large window of the break room. The sun is just starting to go down, sending the familiar gold tinged sunlight through the room, drawing out long shadows across the floor. The fiery light reaches through her dark brown hair as she leans slightly forward working on whatever is on the table in front of her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I’d come in here mostly to get away from Hux’s uppity presence for a moment and maybe grab something from the fridge for dinner. She had been the only in here, of course. I notice she likes to work in here alone. Which makes me intruding on her all the more entertaining._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Don’t you have some class you have to get to?” I ask, grabbing a water from the fridge and glancing at the large bowl of soggy salad they had in there for dinner. I guess I’ll just eat at home._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Eavesdropping, were you?” she replies, not glancing up from her work._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Kinda hard not to overhear when you two are the only people in here that early in the morning.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Not true, there were a couple others.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Why are you going to school?” I ask, ignoring her. “I thought you dedicated your life to staying here all night.” I grin to myself as I practically hear her rolling her eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I know you think all I’m capable of doing is working in this office, but contrary to popular belief, I actually do have a life outside of work.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I wasn’t suggesting you don’t,” I answer back, suddenly curious about what the scavenger actually does when she’s not at work. Funny enough, I’ve never pictured her being anywhere else._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She pauses for a moment. I wait patiently for her to answer me, but she just goes back to working, after seemingly shaking off a thought or a potential retort._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Are you going to answer my question?” I press._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No.” I chuckle quietly. _Always so spirited._

____

____

____________“And why’s that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Why in the world are you so curious?” she demands, finally turning away from her work to face me. I shrug, mindlessly brushing my fingers along the top of the water, hoping she knows how much I enjoy torturing her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Maybe I just want to know.” She narrows her eyes and grits her teeth together, probably trying not to lose her shit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Can I get back to work now?” She clearly isn’t looking for permission, so she turns back around and goes back to working. But I’ve still got some time and all that’s waiting for me back down the hall is Hux’s pompous orders and Leavy’s inefficient attempts at work ethic._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I walk around the table she’s sitting at and stand against the window a few feet in front of her, taking a gulp of water before glancing down at her. I can’t fathom why all of a sudden in the past few days she has become more… fascinating._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Don’t you have some impending war you need to be overseeing?” she asks after a few moments without looking up from her work._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Not anymore than you have some lost puppy you need to save.” I see her hand lying on the table slowly tighten into a fist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You can’t even begin to understand the work we do everyday," she says dismissively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh, but you have the knowledge to tell me about mine?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know _everything _I need to know about you,” she says spitefully.__

____

____

______________“Is that so?” I respond just as heatedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yes. I know the people running this company seem to think gaining more and more land and buying more and more weapons is more important than facing the problems the state already has. I know they’re more concerned with raising our population and expanding the state more and more rather than recognize there are hundreds of starving and homeless children we can’t even afford to care for, let alone the hundreds more that will surely come along if we expand our already vastly substantial state.” _Where does she get all these statistics?_

____

____

________________“Did you also know that we ensure everyone’s protection and freedom by having thousands of brave men and women standing at our borders to protect us from any possible opposition?” I bite my tongue in regret and mentally slap myself when she seems surprised, no doubt at my sudden ‘deep’ statement. Her eyes soften slightly however, and, though she’d most likely never admit it, guilt runs through her expression._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Of course I’m well aware if that,” she answers, her tone quieter. “I’m not suggesting the military is useless. It’s an essential aspect of any state. But there are no threats to us now, there haven’t been for years. Why does it seem like we’re constantly preparing for an all out war?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It can happen in the blink of an eye. And if we’re not prepared, a lot of people could be in serious trouble.” She cocks her head, her eyes suddenly curious and gazing directly at me. As if she’s studying me. Shit. Did I say something stupidly and unintentionally impassioned again?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You know something Kylo Ren?” she asks, grinning teasingly. “You may not be as cold and heartless as I previously assumed.” I grimace, pushing out the impending familiarity of hearing words like that from my mother whenever I’m in the same vicinity as her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, don’t get your hopes up, little scavenger,” I scowl back at her. “I’m just doing my job.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I wasn’t,” she replies, narrowing her eyes. “I was only suggesting you might have accidentally let your natural human compassion show just now.” I glare at her as she grins smugly, knowing she’s won the argument. “You know there’s no need to keep up the outdated tradition that men shouldn’t show their emotions.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I don’t care what men are supposed to do,” I reply, not changing my stagnant tone. “I only care what I do.” She bites her lip, narrowing her eyes at me indecisively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You know, you’d be much more welcoming if you’d just lighten up a bit. I mean, you’re already oddly charming.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Lightening up isn’t really my…. what did you say?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Do you even have any _friends? _” I widen my eyes a bit in amusement._ Ha!_

____

____

____________________“Implying the need?” I ask, shaking my head slightly. She gapes at me, as if I’d asked her why anyone would want air to breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You’re perfectly contempt with being alone?” she asks, sounding unconvinced._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I don’t understand why you’re so surprised by this. I don't enjoy superficially socializing with people to the point of mindless camaraderie. The only playful banter I tolerate is with you.” She glances down, leaning her elbows on the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why’s that?” she questions. _Why _is_ that?_

____

____

________________________“I guess because… it’s one of the more entertaining aspects of the day.” She stares up at me and instead of her usual teasing or annoyed expressions she always greets me with, she looks… neutral. As if she’s just having a casual conversation with me, rather than our typical sarcastic arguments._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I never much liked socializing either,” she says. I almost laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You’re kidding.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Just because I do it a lot doesn’t mean it’s my favorite thing to do.” She looks at me pointedly. “I just happen to want to be _nice. _” I smirk. “Anyway, I’ve never… I don’t have a whole lot of friends.” I look at her, unconvinced.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Right, only ten or twenty, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, two.” I raise my eyebrows and wait to see if she’s serious. “Two very close friends, and I don’t know what I would do without them.” I can guess the two she’s talking about. The one guy that always comes in with her in the morning who’s always scowling at me, and the other guy (I think his boyfriend or something) that Hux hates so much. Poe. I suppose they are the only two she seems… close to. “It’s hard to find people to connect with. I know it was for me at least. But once you do, it’s… nice. Everything just seems better.” _What is she trying to do?_

____

____

____________________________“Well, I’m sure that works out just fine for you.” I quickly turn away from her and head towards the door, feeling a sudden urgency to get away from her before I do or say something stupid again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________I step out into the hall towards the main office, thankful that, for the moment, no one seems to be down here. I lean up against the wall, running a hand through my hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ok. Maybe the girl does have somewhat good intentions rather than just being maddeningly polite. I don’t know why, but the way she spoke… maybe she’s been through more than I- fuck it, why the hell am I even wasting my time thinking about this? I don’t know why she would try to convince me to be more social. _Why does she even care? I don’t care what she does, why should she care what I do? _I glance back towards the break room, listening to see if she’d come out._ When was the last time anyone tried to convince me to… make friends? _I shake my head, sighing in disbelief.__

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_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

________________________________“Well thanks anyway, kid,” I mutter, as if she could hear me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	5. Chapter 5

Rey P.O.V

“It’s the same idea as nature vs nurture, right?” a young girl sitting next to me volunteers. We all turn to listen. Our first discussion question, after a quick lesson on different perceptions of sexual identity, was what, in our opinion, are the roles of nature and culture in shaping an individual's sexuality in our culture. We’ve been discussing for over an hour and I already have almost two pages of notes. 

“What do you mean by that?” Mr. Evans asks in the usual tone a teacher uses when they ask a question but already know the answer.

“Well, some people believe that it’s already decided by the time we’re born what kind of person we’re going to be, i.e., what our sexuality will be. Nature. Others believe that it’s completely up to how you’re raised and what environment you’re surrounded by during your development. Nurture.”

“That’s very true,” Mr. Evans replies, leaning up against his desk. “Nature vs nurture is a common debate topic in this area of discussion. Therefore, your opinion on this issue would most likely depend on your opinion of the famous debate.” 

“It’s genetic,” a guy sitting at the back says. Mr. Evans looks back at him. “Who you’re attracted to isn’t influenced by your family or pop culture or anything else. You’re born instantly knowing who you’re attracted to and what gender you are. Now, the outside world and social norms do determine how long it takes you to figure that out because of the concepts of social acceptance and rejection.” Damn, these kids are smart. 

“I think our society decides who we are,” a guy sitting behind me who always seems like he wants to sleep speaks up. “Sure, we may be genetically designed to feel or be a certain way. But at the end of the day, we decide who we’re gonna be based on what is popular in our culture and what is deemed acceptable by society.” Mr. Evans nods as the class murmurs, some in agreement, others in skepticism.

“Rey, what do you think.” I look up in surprise.

“Oh. Well, I think I agree to a certain extent. You are born with your attraction and gender, regardless of when you actually become aware of it. And in a lot of cases, especially years and years ago, whatever is deemed acceptable by our culture is how probably a lot of people choose to live by. But I can speak from personal experience that there are many people who don’t even take social norms into account. They could care less how other people are living or how society thinks they should live. They just are who they are. And I think that’s the best way to live.” Mr. Evans stares at me with fascination.

“So, you don’t believe culture should play any role in sexual identity?”

“At least not so prominently that it overrides something as important as who you are. I certainly don’t let it decide the kind of person I want to be.” He grins, nodding.

“That’s very good advice.” He stands up from the desk and paces across the floor in front of us. “And that’s the ultimate struggle when it comes to any identity we try to establish as beings functioning together in a society. What is culturally acceptable and what will determine you a, shall we say, ‘outsider’. From that, there also stems the question of what is legally acceptable and what will land you in jail.” 

Bags start to shuffle as everyone glances at the clock that is just reaching nine fifteen. I start to gather all my things. 

“Alright, I’d say that was quite productive for our first discussion. Now, make sure you hold onto your notes, because they will be useful for the end of semester essay.” Everyone starts shuffling out the door as the sound of shuffling papers fills the room. I swing my bag over my shoulder and step down from the row of desks towards the door.

“Not bad today, Rey.” I turn to Mr. Evans and grin shyly.

“Well, I don’t consider myself to be the most knowledgeable about things like this, especially after hearing what everyone else had to say.” 

“Well, you could have fooled me,” he replies, waving his hand carelessly. “You had very justifiable opinions. I actually look forward to what your final essay will look like.” I grin.

“Thanks. So I guess I’ll see you next week?”

“That’s the plan.” I smile and wave as I follow the last few students out the door. 

I find my car parked near the front of the building in the now almost pitch black parking lot. I throw all my things into the passenger seat and start to drive back towards the inner city.

The familiar sound of droplets hitting the roof of my car starts up after I get off the freeway. I’ve always hated driving in the rain, especially at night. I grimace as I look ahead of my down the semi empty street, flipping on the windshield wipers. At least I’m not too far from home. Just a few more miles and-

My stomach jumps as the car lurches forward, sputtering. _What the hell? _It slows._ Crap _. I step on the gas. It seems to slow even more._ Shit. _I quickly pull over to the side of the road, just in time as the engine chokes for a few more seconds before silencing all together._ Fuck. _This can not be happening. I sit still for a moment, nothing but the rain and soft whir of passing cars filling my utterly shocked silence.__

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

________I finally am able to pry my hands from the steering wheel and pull myself together. I look down at the dashboard. All the lights are still on. The engine seems dead. Ok. I can fix this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I take a deep, somewhat irritated breath, before opening the door and stepping out into the rainy night. I can hardly see shit on account of the absence of light already, let alone from the blurring downpour of water. I step around to the front of the car, opening up the hood. I’ve been a fairly decent mechanic ever since I can remember. I used to fix everyone’s broken toys in kindergarten and even was able to help my second foster dad in his auto shop when I was twelve._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I begin checking over everything, eliminating all the possible causes for the sudden inconvenient occurrence. _Why couldn’t this have happened this morning when it was light and dry? _Then again, I suppose breaking down right in the middle of the traffic filled city streets instead of the quieter backroads would have been just as infuriating. Everything happens for a reason, I guess.__

I start checking the spark plugs when a car drives past in the lane beside me. _Come on, I _must_ have fixed something like this before. _I shiver slightly against the prickling rain drops._ Everything’s fine, this car’s barely five years old! If only I had a flashlight… _I guess that’s something I should start carrying with me in the trunk.__

I blindly paw at the contents of the car, mostly able to keep up just from memory, but my hands hover just over the oil tank as my eyes snap up. From the corner of my eye I see the car that had just passed me slowly backing up. A black lamborghini. _Shit. _I silently hope against hope that by any chance it will just continue to back up until it’s passed me, but it stops right alongside me. I quickly look around to see if there’s anything nearby aside from the power lines. No buildings, no houses. Just open fields and small handfuls of passing cars. I can flag someone down if I really need help.__

____________________I act like I’m fixing something under the hood, while keeping an eye on the sleek black car. This is supposed to be a fairly safe area. As in, I’ve never heard of anything bad happening over here before. Then again, how many people break down here at nine thirty at night?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The window rolls down. My blood goes cold, but I continue to look casual. _Just ignore them, just ignore them._

“You need some help, kid?” I freeze again, but this time in jolting horrified realization. I turn to face the car. _Of course. _There he is. Kylo Ren sitting in the black lamborghini with one hand still on the steering wheel and the other resting casually atop the passenger’s seat, leaning over to stare uncertainty at me through the open passenger window. He seemed to fit in like a puzzle piece in the pitch black vehicle.__

“I’m fine!” I call out over the rain. “Some kind of bug with the engine.” He doesn’t look convinced. _Just keep driving… _“I’ll have it going in a bit,” I call out pointedly, hinting I don’t need any help and he can be on his way. But I could never have expected the next words out of his mouth.__

__________________________“It’s late,” he says calmly after a moment or two. “I’ll take you home. You can call someone to come fix it tomorrow.” I stare at him for a moment, waiting for him to say he’s just bullshitting me and drive off. But he doesn’t._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I can fix it myself,” I insist stubbornly. “I’m not leaving it out here all night.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Rey, you look like you just jumped in a river. It’s freezing out, you’ll get hypothermia by the time you’re able to fix this thing. Just get in the car, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.” I just realize how cold it really is. My entire body is tensed up in an effort to block out the cold. I try to relax, but my muscles just shiver and ache._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I sigh, glancing over my shoulder at the road ahead. Well… realistically, my building isn’t _too _far from here. I look back at my car, biting my lip in frustration. But I finally shake my head.__

____________________________“Alright. I’ll come back and deal with it tomorrow.” I shut the hood of the car and walk back around and open the door to grab my purse. “You can go, I’ll just walk from here.” He looks at me like I just told him I’d planned to sleep out here all night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Are you kidding me?” he asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Look, my building isn’t far from here. Really, I’ve walked further than this, this is nothing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Rey, I’m not gonna let you just walk all the way home this late at night.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“I can take care of myself,” I say, turning off the car (or what’s left to turn off) and grabbing my keys. I swing the door shut and look at him. “You don’t have to worry about me, ok?” He stares at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Rey, just get in.” I widen my eyes in exasperation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Kylo-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Rey.” He looks at me pointedly as a chill rips through my body and I cross my arms tightly over my chest. My wet hair clings to the back of my neck, sending chills down my spine. I glare down at him, gritting my teeth together before closing my eyes in defeat. I turn and lock my car before opening his passenger side door and climbing in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Force, it’s fucking warm in here. I can’t help but sigh in relief as my tensed muscles start to relax. Kylo drives on down the road and I tell him where my apartment building is. I try to keep my eyes out the window, but I can’t help but glance at the dashboard. This is a _really _nice car. Kylo must have noticed the still unwilling expression on my face.__

________________________________“Look, you don’t have to worry,” he begins, sounding a bit repelled. “I’m not some psycho or anything. I left the doors unlocked in case you feel you want to jump out, though I wouldn’t recommend it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Oh. That’s not why I…” He looks over at me curiously. “I wasn’t worried about that.” Truthfully, I didn’t even think about that at all. Not that I’m worried now, I can totally kick his ass if he tries to do anything to me. But to be honest, what I was so stubborn about seems a little immaterial now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“What were you worried about?” he asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Just… well, it’s stupid now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“What is it?” I grip my hands together begrudgingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I just… I just don’t want to owe you anything.” To my surprise, he laughs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Oh, I see. You’re afraid I’m gonna have something on you now when we have our little daily altercations.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Look, it’s nothing personal. I don’t want to owe anyone anything. I’ve never liked having people do things for me. I know, it’s kind of a problem.” He shrugs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I’ve never let anyone do anything for me. Though everyone sure likes to fucking try.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“It just makes me feel guilty. Like I have this looming debt I know I’ll have to repay one day.” His expression looks less hardened than it usually does. More relaxed, and maybe a little tired. I have to say, this is one of the most unusual predicaments I ever expected myself to be in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Well, consider this a small favor. A short ceasefire after giving each other shit everyday for the past year and a half.” I stare out the window, my brain automatically gearing up to think of a snarky comeback. But I just nod._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Ok.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________It’s silent for a few minutes as we drive out back into the busy streets, finally re-entering the inner part of the city._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“What were you doing out there?” I ask before I can stop myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I worked late. That’s the way I head home.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Do you live in the city?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“No. I spend all my time there anyway, I like to be able to get away from it when I’m not working.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“So you live just outside the city? Near Dantooine?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Yep.” I raise my eyebrows. I can’t picture someone like Kylo Ren living in the peaceful suburban-like area on that side of town._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“It’s nice over there. Pretty.” He shrugs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Yeah, I guess it’s a nice change of scenery from nothing but buildings and cars.” We stop at a light and he looks over to me, as if remembering something. “I didn’t see you staying at the office this late. What were you doing on that road?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“It’s the quickest way to get home from the university.” The light changes and we slowly but surely move forward through the line of cars._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Ah. Your little night class. So what is it, Tuesdays and Thursdays then?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Yeah. That’s about all I can take with work.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“What class are you taking?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Cultural anthropology.” I suddenly remember that I’m supposed to be angry at him for continuing to bring up the topic of my personal business. But either I’m too tired or I just don’t care anymore._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Interesting,” he replies slowly. “Learning a lot?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Actually, yes. It’s nice to feel like I’m learning something. If I’m sitting at home doing nothing, even if it’s just for a few minutes, I feel massively unproductive. Taking a class seemed like a good way to stay busy and learn something relevant.” I realize how much of that I actually said out loud and suddenly feel a bit self conscience._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I get it,” Kylo responds to my immense surprise. “You’re most comfortable when you have things to do. That makes sense.” I bite my tongue, shaking my head in disbelief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Well, you’re the first person to think so.” He suddenly grins smugly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“What, your little friends disagree?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Yes! Everyone else thinks I’m crazy!” To my surprise, I find myself laughing and I even see the ghost of a smirk cross Kylo’s face. It might just be that I’m a bit hysterical from the cold and the events of the past fifteen minutes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________I direct him the rest of the way to where I live and we soon pull up outside my apartment building. It’s a pretty quiet little building, tucked away form the hustle and bustle of the city streets by being surrounded by tall brick fence topped with bright green hedges. Probably one of the more private areas you can find in the whole city. By the looks of it now, everyone has turned in for the night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“This it?” Kylo asks, glancing around the five story building._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“It is,” I answer, grabbing my key out of my purse. I’m about to thank him and leave, but he beats me to it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“So, should I pick you up here around seven, I know you like to go in early.” I freeze and turn around to face him, my eyes narrowing in confusion and alarm. “You don’t have a car,” he says slowly, staring at me pointedly. “Unless you have an extra one sitting around somewhere-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh.” I grin, shaking my head in realization and maybe a bit in relief. “No, you don’t have to worry. I’ll just call Finn and ask him to give me a ride tomorrow, he comes in the same time I do. But thank you anyway.” I say it quickly before I can remind myself of how much we’re supposed to despise each other. “And thank you for your help tonight.” I sheepishly look away from him. “I guess I _do _owe you one.” He just stares at me for a moment, as if in thought, before grinning mischievously.__

__________________________________“How about you let me have the last word tomorrow and we’ll call it even.” I stare at him with uncertainty. Leave it to me to be this indecisive about something as silly as this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Alright, fine,” I give in, begrudgingly. I open the door and step out into the lot. “Tomorrow you can have your moment, but next week, it’s back to normal. That means me winning every single battle of wills we have.” I realize it comes out sounding more playful than I meant it to. But he just grins back at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Alright then, scavenger. Be prepared to have your pride hurt tomorrow.” I swing the door shut and he drives off in his two hundred thousand dollar car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________As irritated as I should be with him, I can’t help but recognize that the exhilarated smile that stays on my face for the rest of the night is genuine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	6. Chapter 6

Rey P.O.V

“So your car literally just stopped and said fuck you?” Finn asks as we turn down onto the main street, filled with cars as always of course. He just picked me up from outside my building and I told him about the catastrophe that befell me last night.

“Finn, I’m telling you, it was horrible. It was raining and it was dark, it wasn’t just my car saying fuck you, it was the world giving me a giant middle finger.” 

“So, it’s still sitting out there?”

“Well, I called the tow company this morning and they’re gonna drop it off at the building. I’ll be able to fix it now that I’ll be able to see what I’m doing and it’s not pouring down rain.”

“You said this happened out on the backroads?”

“Yeah. Not the worst place to break down since there isn’t any traffic over there.” We stop at a light and Finn closes his eyes briefly before looking over at me with concern.

“Rey, please don’t tell me you walked all the way home by yourself without telling us where you were.” I grit my teeth, feeling myself turn red.

“Well… no, I didn’t.” He at least looks a little more relieved. The light turns and I hope he’ll drop the subject, but I know him too well to know that he won’t. 

“What did you do then? Call a cab?”

“No. Someone stopped and offered me a ride home.” Now Finn looks even more worried.

“You got into a car with some random person who pulled up on the side of the road? Rey, I know you. Now I know you’re lying.” 

“Kylo Ren gave me a ride home.”

It’s quiet for a moment while I try to casually look out the window and not stare anxiously at Finn’s expression, which I’m guessing is one of either mass confusion or shock. He’s probably trying to figure out if I’m kidding or not, and me staying silent will signify that I’m not. Then he’ll try to process whether or not he heard me correctly. Also my awkward silence should reassure him that he did.

“Kylo Ren. Your Kylo Ren that you hate.”

“I never said I hate him.”

“Um, I don’t recall you two getting along harmoniously enough to justify carpooling together.”

“He was just helping me out. He happened to see me stranded on the side of the road and offered to take me home so I wouldn’t have to walk, which you just made clear you did _not _approve of.” He stares out at the busy street in front of him, still flabbergasted. “I honestly didn’t even want him to give me a ride, but I didn’t have much of a choice.” I stare at him, waiting for a response, but he just keeps staring out ahead of him, looking like he’s still trying to comprehend all this. “Would you rather I walked home?”__

__“No. No, I just… I find it hard to believe he just gave you a ride out of the kindness of his heart. I mean, it’s Kylo freaking Ren! He’s not exactly a warm welcoming soul.”_ _

__“He didn’t have to be. He just saw I needed a ride and offered me one. And as much as I want to deny it, I’m glad he did. Because it was really fucking cold out last night.” We turn onto the street our work building is on._ _

__“He didn’t….” I look over at Finn as he trails off and looks like he doesn’t really want to finish the sentence. “He didn’t…_ try _anything did he?”__

____“Oh stars, Finn, no,” I say quickly, putting a hand to my forehead._ _ _ _

____“Ok, I’m sorry. I just… I don’t trust him.”_ _ _ _

____“Well, don’t worry,” I reassure him as we turn into the parking garage. “It was just a co worker helping out another co worker. It’s not like we’re best friends now or anything. We’ll be back at it today, as usual.” When it’s silent again, I realize that I’m trying to convince myself more than him. I must be tired this morning._ _ _ _

____* * *_ _ _ _

____“I think we’re going to kick ass at this presentation,” Poe says as we finish our run through. Jessika turns the lights on and I go to turn the projector off._ _ _ _

____“For sure, we’re gonna be the talk of the meeting,” I agree._ _ _ _

____“With us at your side, socks will literally be blown off,” Jessika says, grinning as we all high five. I log off the presentation from the laptop and log onto the website._ _ _ _

____“So, what’s up with your car?” Poe asks, crossing his arms and leaning up against one of the computer desks, “Finn woke me up hella early and said something was up and he needed to give you a ride.”_ _ _ _

____“Broke down on my way home from class last night,” I explain, clicking onto the events tab on the site. “I had to call the tow company to pick it up this morning.”_ _ _ _

____“No freaking way,” Poe gapes at me. “Damn girl, you should have called me.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, it’s nothing I can’t fix up, I’m sure. I just couldn’t see shit last night and it was kind of pouring down rain, so I thought it would just be better to operate on it after work.” Jessika heads out to the smaller work room where everyone who isn’t on lunch probably is after quickly waving us a quick goodbye._ _ _ _

____“That’s right, it did start coming down pretty hard last night," Poe continues._ _ _ _

____“Yeah…” I lean away from the laptop and fold my arms across my chest. “You’ll never guess who gave me a ride back to my apartment,” I say, lowering my voice. Poe leans toward me eagerly._ _ _ _

____“Who?” he asks, his eyes widening._ _ _ _

____“Kylo Ren.”_ _ _ _

____Poe just stares at me with the same wide eyed expression, his mouth forming a small o shape._ _ _ _

____“You’re shittting me,” he says, now matching my quieted tone. “How the hell did that happen?”_ _ _ _

____“I really don’t know. He saw me pulled over on the side of the road and offered me a ride. I didn’t want to at first, but… I also didn’t feel like walking home in the rain.” Poe stares at me, a hilarious bewildered expression plastered on his face. I bite my tongue in hilarity._ _ _ _

____“This is extremely out of character for him.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, well, I always knew there was something of a human-ish heart in him.”_ _ _ _

____“How can a man of that vastness of emo ride in on a white horse to rescue you?”_ _ _ _

____“Well, actually he rode in with an all black lamborghini. Wearing all black. Like he always does.” Poe nods. He sits himself up on the desk and folds his hands in his lap. “Does any of this surprise you?" I question, noticing his lack of horror or shock._ _ _ _

____“No, but I imagine Finn’s brain might have exploded. Quite frankly I think Kylo Ren scares the shit out of him.” I laugh, nodding and turning back to look over the website. “Sometimes I think the poor man is starting to buy into all this bullshit about all of us being required to feud with anyone who isn’t in our department-”_ _ _ _

____“Wait, why aren’t you surprised?”_ _ _ _

____“Why am I not surprised? I’m not surprised because you two have had undeniable heated chemistry since you first met.” I spin around to face him, my eyes wide with horror._ _ _ _

“ _Poe! _”__

________“Oh come on, when you two get into it, it’s the most entertaining part of the day, ask anyone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ok, but how does that make him picking me up on the side of the road not surprising?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Everyone knows two individuals spitting back and forth wit makes for a fiery love hate relationship.” I stare at him, narrowing my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re kidding right?” He tries to keep a straight face, but if there’s one man in the entire universe who can’t keep a grin off his face, it’s Poe Dameron. “Oh, you are so funny Poe. Thank you very much for your input.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ah, you can always count on me honey.” I look back at the screen._ _ _ _ _ _

______“The site looks really good, Poe.” He walks over to grab a water from the case of Fiji bottles on the far desk._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah. I love the layout for the pizza sale ad. Did we print out more copies of these?” He nods, taking a sip of water._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I sent Finn down to the copy room and made tons more. Speaking of which, where is that sexy man? It’s time to eat.” I close down the laptop and grab my purse off the table. “I’m thinking we go on down to Applebees.” We always go out to eat on Fridays._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That sounds good to me. I think Finn’s in the break room getting some work done.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Let’s go get him and get the hell outta here for a little while.” I follow him out of the main work room and head down the hall toward the break room. I grit my teeth a little in worry. I haven’t seen Kylo all day, only because of the deal I had made with him. I know he is just dying to see me forced to bitterly allow him the last word in whatever battle we happen to get in today._ _ _ _ _ _

______We find Finn sitting at the couch in the break room and Poe waves through the glass to get his attention. I glance around and am relieved to see no sign of Kylo. Finn gathers all his things and runs out into the hall to meet us._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We’re going to Applebees and getting those mini burgers with fries,” Poe tells him as we all head toward the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _

______“About time,” Finn says, hitting the button. “Everyone else is already gone.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We were just working on our killer presentation,” I say as the elevator comes up and we all step in. “We’re going to knock socks off.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Really?” Finn asks, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You bet your ass,” Poe assures him. “We’re gonna be the hottest act there. I would invite you to come see, but it’s VIP only.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, you couldn’t get me in the same room with the Board members if you paid me 20K for the rest of the year.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______We get down to the ground floor and head out down the hall to the lobby._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So, I was thinking we should go down to the beach tomorrow,” Poe says as we walk down the silvery, perfectly polished halls. “We deserve it, we’ve been working hard all week. Plus, we need to celebrate Rey’s blossoming education.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea…” I trail off, staring reproachfully in front of me as we enter the lobby. Of course he’s here. Walking straight in our direction. I brace myself for whatever snide comment he’ll make today that I’ll have to let him have._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, I’m down,” Finn says, obviously unaware of the turmoil unfolding before him. “I could use a day out of this city.” Kylo walks briskly toward us as I unintentionally stare him down. His eyes finally find me and I stare straight back at him. My gaze follows him as he doesn’t slow his pace, but instead walks right around us, giving me a gratified smirk, as if he knows something I didn’t. I stare puzzledly down at the ground as the three of us exit the building and walk out onto the crowded sidewalk._ _ _ _ _ _

“Yeah, I think I could use a short getaway,” I say, shaking my head and pulling myself out of the silly little debacle. _This is just like him. Of course he’d try to psych me out._

__________“Well, for now, let’s make a short getaway for lunch,” Poe says as we all cross the street to the parking garage. “Because if I don’t get something to eat soon, I’m gonna eat myself.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

Rey P.O.V

I stretch my legs out over the beach towel, shivering slightly as the breeze kicks in again. Alderaan is normally a chilly place, but the beaches in the spring and summer time are perfect. 

“This was the best idea ever,” I say as Finn lays out the rest of the towels. “Whoever came up with this is a genius.”

“I do fancy myself an ingenious man,” Poe says, standing with his hands on his hips and glancing out at the water. Finn lays on the towel next to me.

“Well, you were right,” he says, putting his sunglasses on. “We definitely deserve this.” My hand grazes through the cold soft sand.

“How cold do you think the water is?” I ask.

“I’d say twenty degrees, at least,” Poe answers. “Same as always.”

“Why does it get so cold?” I ask. “This is supposed to be the warm area.”

“Well, just be thankful that whenever we get in, you’re always able to go all the way to your shoulders once you get used to it,” Poe says, sitting next to Finn. “Finn and I can’t go in past our waist without our balls jumping into our throat.” I laugh hysterically and Finn bites his lip trying not to laugh, but failing. Poe just shrugs. “It’s true.” I sit up, grabbing my wallet out of the beach bag.

“I’m going down to the sandwich shop to get us some lunch.” 

“I’m coming with,” Poe says, standing up and putting his sunglasses on his head. “Babe, make sure no one steals our towels.”

“On it,” Finn answers, giving him the thumbs up. “Ain’t no desperate beach bums stealing these towels or this bag.” 

“That’s my man,” Poe says, winking at him. “We’ll be back in a sec, you want your usual?”

“You got it. Hurry back, I’m starved.”

Poe and I walk up the sand dunes and start running once we get to the top where the sand is scalding hot. 

“This is a serious hazard,” Poe says, gasping in pain as the scorching golden mineral seeps over our flip flops and onto our toes. “I literally have burn marks after walking through this shit, it’s like walking over hot coals!”

“They need to put up some kind of warning sign,” I agree, leaping ahead of him and gritting my teeth in agony. “Seriously, little children could be injured. They should get caution tape for this whole area.” I hop up onto concrete road and pull Poe up alongside me.

“How do you leap around so quick?” he asks, shaking his head as we cross the street over to the sandwich shop.

“Oh, don’t you know? That’s one of the advantages of being so small,” I say, grinning. “You can fit into the smallest of places and you can move fast as lightning.”

“You make it sound like some kind of superpower,” he says, grinning at me. We walk into the small shop that thankfully isn’t too busy. We get into line behind an elderly couple. 

“It is a superpower,” I say as we look at the sandwich ingredients, “because I really think it’s a mutation. I eat as much as anyone else and go to the gym every Sunday, yet I haven’t gained a single pound.”

“Well, that’s it then,” Poe says, shaking his head and throwing his hands up. “I mean, no way it could be a super fast metabolism, someone call Charles Xavier.” I laugh and playfully shove him.

“And what can I get for you two?” the young woman behind the counter asks politely as the couple ahead of us finishes and takes a seat at a table.

“Ladies first,” Poe says, gesturing for me to go ahead.

“Alright, I’d like smoked turkey on sourdough bread with havarti cheese, tomato, lettuce, olives, and oil and vinegar.” The young woman nods, jotting all of that down. 

“And for you, sir?” she asks, looking to Poe.

“I’ll take the roast beef on the Italian herb and cheese bread with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and oil and vinegar. And then I’m gonna need roast beef on sourdough bread with bacon lettuce and tomato.” The woman nods.

“For here or to go?”

“To go.”

“Alright, it will be just a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” we both say before walking over to the snack shelves. 

“Hey, let’s get one of these for Finn,” Poe says, eyeing the double chocolate cookies.

“He’ll be ecstatic,” I agree, grabbing a couple from the shelf.

“Ok, and we should get him the grossest sounding chips and then see how they taste,” he says, searching through the rows of small bags of chips. 

“Those chips are shitty anyway, they’re the small packages. It’s basically just crumbs and a few really really thin chips.”

“Well, we’ll feed ‘em to the gulls if we don’t like them,” he says, grabbing a bag of creamy garlic caesar chips. “These sound fucking disgusting. I’ll get the wasabi ginger for Finn. Does that say bacon mac and cheese?” I look closer, ready to tell him that he had misread it, but unfortunately, he hadn’t. 

“Holy shit,” I whisper. He laughs, grabbing that bag too. 

“These will be yours.” I stare at them with disgust. 

“If we all get sick from these, it’s on you,” I tell him, walking back up to the counter when I see our sandwiches are ready. We put the chips and cookies on the counter and each pay half of the bill. We grab our bag of food and head for the door. We walk past the table that the elderly couple is sitting at and I notice the woman smiling up at me. 

“You two make an adorable couple,” she says when I glance down at her. Poe and I grin knowingly.

“Thank you!” we both call back to her as we walk out the door. That sort of thing has almost become an inside joke between Poe and I. We don’t see it, but apparently tons of onlookers think we are just charming as a couple. Of course it’s a little awkward to stop and explain that we’re not romantic partners but just really good friends, so we just decide to smile and go along with it. It’s not as if we’re gonna see them again anyway. 

“Now why can’t anyone make those comments about me and Finn?” Poe asks as we cross the street back towards the beach. “Everyone assumes you and I are a couple, and when I act way more romantic with Finn out in public, everyone thinks we’re just good friends.”

“Most people don’t have the blessing of an incredibly open mind that you have Mr. Dameron,” I say. “For most people, boy and girl means romantic partners. No discussion.” 

When Finn and I first met Poe and I immediately suspected he had feelings for Finn, I had asked him if he was bisexual. It seemed he had a new girlfriend every month, but not in the way of an arrogant sex crazed asshole. Just a man going through different relationships. I still remember, we were sitting out on his back porch at night listening to a Nickelback CD and eating a bowl of french vanilla ice cream his parents always kept in the house. Finn had already gone home because his foster home’s curfew was ten o’clock. So I decided then was my opportunity to ask Poe and figure out what his intentions were. He just told me he’d had thousands of relationships throughout the years, men and women. He doesn't deliberately distinguish between the two. “I like who I like,” he had told me. “Hair color, skin color, gender, doesn’t matter to me. If I feel a connection, I’m gonna pursue it.” I always thought that was a quite beautiful way to look at things. I also thought it was funny that he almost didn’t understand the labeling of gay or bisexual. In his mind, it’s completely normal for everyone to feel attracted to whoever they feel attracted to. I wasn’t sure if that was naive or perhaps a better way of thinking. From that moment on, I’ve respected Poe all the more for it. 

“Hey,” Poe gasps as we hop along the hot sand, “five bucks says Finn spits those wasabi garlic chips right out and the seagulls invade out territory.”

“Do I look like a sucker?” I ask, trying not to gasp in pain as we sprint down the smoldering dune.

We arrive back to where Finn is sitting watching over our towels. He looks relieved when he sees us. 

“You come bearing gifts I hope?” he asks as Poe and I plop down on the towels and start unloading the goodie bag.

“Just the way you like it,” Poe says, handing him his sourdough sandwich while he takes the Italian herb and cheese one. “Plus, bonus content.” He brings out the bags of chips and the cookies. Finn picks up one of the chip bags, squinting at it in confusion.

“Does that say bacon mac and cheese?” he asks. Poe snorts and Finn looks to me. “You indulged him in this?”

“Of course,” I answer, grinning teasingly. “But that one’s mine. You get the wasabi garlic.”

“Ugh!” Finn exclaims and Poe and I burst out laughing. “This is what I get for trusting you two with the food.”

 

Well, it turns out Poe and I were right. Finn spit those wasabi garlic chips right out and had to throw the rest away. I practically choked on the bacon mac and cheese, but Poe forced himself to down the entire bag of creamy garlic caesar just to prove a point.

After we eat, we play a hundred games of ‘Whatever Poe Can Think Up’ with the soccer ball. It’s always me and Finn versus him, because Poe is a sports mastermind and Finn and I, while athletically inclined, can’t keep up with any game involving kicking or hitting a ball. But we manage to beat him a few times with our combined strengths. 

We then go into the water, which is my favorite part of the beach. There's something about the violent, roaring ocean that’s alway excited me. Yes, it’s freezing as fuck, meaning it takes me about fifteen minutes before I can actually get all the way in, and Finn and Poe have to stand and watch me roll around in the waves from a distance, refusing to go in past their waists. Well, until I pull them in of course.


	8. Chapter 8

Rey P.O.V

“I think ancestors are viewed much differently than they were a hundred years  
ago,” I finally volunteer into the conversation. Mr. Evans grins at me and nods encouragingly. “In a lot of cultures, ancestors or elderly members of the family are viewed as extremely wise and are to be treated with great respect. They are an extremely important part of culture for some societies. But I think in our modern society, we don’t care as much. Either we’re so caught up in our own ideals of what advice works for us and what advice we don’t want to hear, that we neglect to take anything people who’ve been there before us have to say into account.”

“An excellent point,” Mr. Evans says, looking out at the rest of the class. “I know you probably heard this a lot when you were younger, that you should be more mindful of those around you who are more knowledgeable about the hardships of life. Respecting your grandparents seems more like a minute detail in today’s culture. When in fact, years and years ago, it was essential to, say, have the grandparents live in the same house as you. And studying your ancestry was thought to be required in order to live a successful life.”

“Not just by following their lead,” a young man sitting in the back speaks up. “But also by learning from their mistakes.” Mr. Evans nods in agreement. 

“Well, now that we’ve established the role of ancestors today,” Mr. Evans continues when no one else has volunteered, “let’s harken back to the original question. How do you think our culture changed so drastically that the role of ancestry took such a harsh turn?” The class murmurs among themselves as I stare down at my notes. 

“Obviously somewhere along the way, certain generations of people either didn’t think it was that important, or just didn’t have time to worry about it,” I offer after a moment. “Perhaps the world around us started to shrink. And people started to ignore certain values less and less in order to find their place in a rapidly changing time.” I pause, waiting in silence for someone else to talk. But when no one does, I continue thinking out loud. “I think it’s just the morals of individuals that started to change so drastically, not necessarily certain viewpoints.” Mr. Evans raises his eyebrows in surprise.

“Well, Ms. Kenobi,” he says, putting his hands on his hips, “I thought you told me you weren’t well versed on this topic.” I grin sheepishly and a few people chuckle. I have to admit, I too am surprised at how much I’m able to discuss in this class. I thought I’d just have to sit here and try to hold onto every bit of information I could while trying to keep up with all the other broken-in college students. But everything is actually coming pretty natural so far.

 

“Rey,” Mr. Evans calls out to me as I’m about to follow the last group of students out the door. I turn back around and walk back in when he beckons me to his desk. He takes a seat as I stand in front of him, raising my eyebrows in questioning. “I have to say, I’ve been very impressed,” he starts, leaning back in his chair and staring at me curiously. “So far, I think you’ve been one of the more intelligent voices in the class.”

“Really?” I ask in confusion. “I didn’t think-”

“No, I’m serious. For someone who’s been out of school for a few years, you’re holding your own quite well among all these yahoos.” I smile shyly, staring down at the ground. “But, with that fact in mind,” he continues, leaning forward, “I just wanted to know how you’re doing. I know all of this can be a bit overwhelming, especially for someone also trying to manage a full time job.”

“Oh, it’s been great,” I answer honestly. “I have just enough to do to tire me out for the day, but I love it. I feel like I’m accomplishing so much at work and then I’m growing intellectually, which gives me such peace in mind because I’d felt like the world was just moving along without me… sorry,” I say, shaking my head and laughing self consciously. “You really didn’t ask to hear all that, did you?” For some reason I forgot I was talking with my teacher and thought I was just talking to Finn or Poe.

“No, no, I’m glad to hear it,” Mr. Evans says, nodding eagerly. “I know how stressful this makes some people. It’s good to hear there are still people out there who are willing to put the effort in to be… well, to be well rounded people.”

“Well, I have to admit, I’ve done alright with the discussions and everything, but I’m not well versed on writing essays anymore,” I say sheepishly. “I’d be lying if I said I’m not at all worried.” Mr. Evans nods, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

“That makes sense. You probably haven’t written an essay since high school, right?”

“That’d be correct,” I nod. “I was never terrible at it, but I’m not certain I’ll be able to jump back into it, you know?”

“That’s a common fear. Completely understandable in your position. But most students write essays every week for their entire academic career and are unsure of themselves every time.”

“I suppose it’s not a ‘learning-to-ride-a-bike’ kind of situation.”

“You’d be correct,” he answers, the both of us laughing. “Rey, I don’t think you should worry. We’ll be practicing short writing pieces that you’ll hand into me for feedback.”

“That would really help,” I say, relieved.

“And I’m always more than happy to help anyone who’s nervous about the final exam. It is quite a big deal and I know stressing over it can be quite exhausting. You wouldn’t want this to affect your work performance or anything.” 

“Force, I didn’t even think of that,” I say, my eyes widening in worry as I stare off to the side of the room, thinking about how I need to organize all this. 

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Mr. Evans says, standing from his desk. I look back at him and he gestures to me. “Look, I’m always able to offer my students any extra help they need. Later on in the semester, if you need help reviewing or preparing, you can just come over to my house and we can go over anything you’re worried about.”

“That would help me so much,” I say, thankful. He grins and nods. 

“Good. You just let me know whenever you have time. I know you’re obviously a very busy woman.”

“Yes,” I say, nodding pointedly. He laughs. “Thank you so much for everything, I really appreciate it.” 

“I’m happy to help, Rey. That’s what I’m here for. You just let me know, whenever you need it.” 

“Thank you.” I glance towards the door. “I should probably go now, I’ve got to get home and get some sleep.”

“Absolutely. I’ll see you Thursday, Rey.” I nod goodbye and head out the door.

_Shit, at least that’s off my mind now _I think to myself as I walk down the hall._ Now all I have to worry about it hoping that my car will hold out on the drive home. _I mindlessly wonder if Kylo’s on his way home now like he was last week. I hadn’t run into him since Friday._ I wonder if I’ll see him driving home. I wonder if he’d stop if my car breaks down again. _I snap my brain out of that weird haze of Kylo related questions._ Who gives a damn about him?_

Sometimes I wonder why I’ve had to keep _reminding _myself lately that he’s an asshole.__

_________________________________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Who’s ready for this fucking pizza and ice cream sale?” Poe shouts out, throwing his arms out and looking out at all of us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hell yeah!” we all reply, jumping up in victory. Finn and I embrace, twirling around in triumph and Poe quickly tries to jump on top and wrap his arms around us, leading to an extremely hilarious situation seeing that Poe is slightly shorter than both of us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Everyone else in the room jumps up and down, high fives, or does a little victory dance. At long last, after weeks of planning and rescheduling and adjusting budgets and locations, we finally finished all the preparation for the pizza and ice cream event. We usually have a short celebration after nailing down any of our events, but all the odds were particularly against us on this one, which makes it a big votory. All the budget cuts led to lack of supplies and forced us to hop from location to location but we were just able to afford a nice spot by the race tracks just outside of Endor. I always love when we’re able to go there. We also were able to gather enough supplies from everyone donating whatever they could and me tapping into my own account to buy a few items so that we were able to put together a display that looks quite lovely. Overall, an immense and long awaited win for us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I told you guys everything would be fine!” Jessika says, high fiving Poe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We are the best,” Finn says as Poe pulls him in for a bear hug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And we got it done with two days to spare,” Mark says, running a hand through his spiked hair. “I say we all go into Leia’s office together to give the big news.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You just want to go in and see D’Acy,” Poe says, crossing his arms knowingly. We all laugh as Mark turns slightly pink._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well what’s wrong with that?” he asks. “Kelly is a lovely woman.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah,” I say, biting my lip and nodding earnestly. “She’s single too.” Everyone laughs as Mark turns a deeper pink._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, come on, there’s no shame in it,” Finn says, throwing his arm around Mark’s shoulder. “You feel a connection, you go for it. Go ahead, court her, romance her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Mark my friend, take it from me,” Poe says, putting his arm around Mark’s other shoulder. “Just tell her exactly how you feel. Tell her how she makes you feel, but don’t go too explicit. Just give it to her straight.” Mark stares at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Just… tell her I like her?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I knew it,” Jessika whispers to me. I giggle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Tell her,” Poe says, nodding. “If she’s weirded out, then it’s not meant to be. This way you know right off the bat, there’s no bullshit, no confusion.” Mark stares at the ground, slowly grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Ok… if you’re sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hey, I’ve courted about thirty people in my life, and have never once had a bad relationship,” Poe answers, looking at him seriously. “And through it all, eventually found my soulmate,” he continues, gesturing to Finn. “Trust me Mark, I would not steer you wrong on this.” Mark nods, beginning to wring his hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And if she tells me to get lost…?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You walk out with your head held high knowing she just wasn’t the one,” Poe replies. Mark grins, looking more confident now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, alright. Ok, I’ll do it! Holy shit, I’m gonna do it. Holy shit.” We all laugh and start cheering him on. It’s our entire department in here, so it probably sounds like a small rally from outside the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Alright, I think Mark should be the one to go into Leia’s office and inform her of the good news,” I say after all the cheering has died down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No, now we all have to go,” Brandi says. Everyone murmurs in agreement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, you talked all of this up, now we’ve got to see how this turns out,” Rose agrees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Now now,” Poe says, hollering over everyone. “I know it’s intriguing, but we’ve got to let the man conquer his endeavors on his own.” Mark wrings his hands together again and takes a few deep breaths. “Relax Mark, you’re not going into a tiger’s den here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I have faith in you, Mark,” I say honestly. “Go get her.” He grins and takes another deep breath before turning towards the doors._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Here goes nothing,” he says shakily, exiting the work room. I laugh as a few people follow him out, cheering him on as if they’re his groupies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Alright everyone, I guess that’s dinner then,” I announce to the remaining people in the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Everyone heads either into the break room, down stairs to the cafe in the lobby, or gathers all their things and heads home for the day._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’ll see you in a few hours, babe,” Finn says, grabbing his jacket and kissing Poe briefly on the lips before heading down the hall towards the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“K, text me when you get home,” Poe calls back to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“See ya, Reyzy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Goodbye, Finn,” I wave him off sarcastically and he snickers before getting onto the elevator. Poe and I go into the break room and take out one of the large boxes of pizza from the fridge. I grab two pieces and go sit at the couch in the middle of the room while Poe heats his pieces up. He can’t stand cold pizza, but Finn and I have always adored it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So I’m thinking you me and Finn can just all head down together on Friday,” Poe says, leaning up against the counter while he waits for the pizza to heat up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I thought you were on clean up,” I say, taking a bite out of my deliciously cold pizza._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, it makes no sense for us three to take more than one car up there, don’t you think? Especially since you and Finn are staying the whole time, might as well all go up there together. I’ll just kick around the whole time, maybe check out the race track.” I nod, thinking it over while he grabs his pizza out of the microwave._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, that makes sense.” Poe walks over to the couch to sit next to me, but slows when the door opens behind me. His eyes stay on the tall, hulking figure who comes lurking in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Haven’t seen you in a while,” I say as Poe sits beside me, still staring off at Kylo, as if curiously watching some drama tv series, anxious to see what happens next._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Could say the same to you,” he replies. “Thought you might be avoiding me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Maybe unintentionally,” I reply curtly. Poe grins, glancing between Kylo and I as if it’s the funniest thing ever. I take another bite of my pizza, my eyes following Kylo as he grabs a slice of pizza from one of the boxes and plops it on one of the paper plates. “I never went through with our agreement,” I say, breaking the brief silence. He chuckles lightly, walking past us and towards the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Never expected you to, scavenger.” I stare at him in confusion as he leaves the room and heads back down the other side of the hall. Poe laughs quietly and I turn to look at him as a few more people enter the break room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’ve never seen Kylo Ren laugh,” Poe says, hilarity still lingering in his gaze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I think that was more of a small sarcastic sound of slight amusement,” I reply. But even as I grin along with Poe, his words make me think. I realize that, over the past year or so, my view of Kylo has changed. It’s rare that he ever breaks his intense, icy exterior around anyone. Or possibly at all. But over time, as we indulged in our petty squabble more and more, he began to seem… well, frankly, a little more human. It had been so subtle that I hadn’t even really noticed until just now. In fact, I think I’m the only person in this entire building I’ve ever seen him talk to simply because he wanted to._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, you never know,” Poe says, leaning back on the couch and snapping me out of my thoughts. I look at him as he gazes up in wonder. “You could just be a Rey of light brightening up his day.” He tries to look at me seriously but his lips crack into a smile and I roll my eyes playfully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wow, that one was really hilarious,” I say, shaking my head. I continue eating my pizza, feeling an uncomfortable, biting wish that what Poe had said might be true._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	9. Chapter 9

Rey P.O.V

I get up at six am sharp Friday morning and quickly get ready before heading over to the office. Finn and Poe are going to meet me there and we’ll take Poe’s car down to Endor. There aren’t too many people there when I arrive because everyone’s going straight there. I told everyone I’d get anything we stored away at the office and bring it over. 

I step into the smaller workroom and gather the small pile of decorations that was left on the counter. I put them all in a large plastic grocery bag, making sure nothing is bent or crinkled, then grab the donation box.

I head into the break room just as I get a text from Finn saying he and Poe are down in the parking garage. I text him back to wait there for me to bring the stuff down. I set the bag and box down at my feet and open the freezer to grab the few cartons of ice cream I put here yesterday. We had most of it delivered to where we’re holding the event, but it wasn’t quite enough so I went out and bought more. 

I hear the door open quietly behind me and am somehow able to guess who it is even before hearing the familiar loud footsteps.

“You’re here early,” I observe as I turn and face Kylo. He stands near the door, glancing down at the items at my feet and then at the cartons I’m balancing quite expertly in my hands. “I’m afraid we can’t bicker today.”

“So I hear,” he replies. “It’s going to be nice having the floor to ourselves for a day without having to worry about pissing any of you people off.”

“I didn’t know you even considered you were pissing us off.”

“Oh, I consider it. I just don’t care.” I roll my eyes, grabbing the box under my arm and grabbing the bag with my hand all without bending all the way over or dropping the ice cream cartons. _I’m pretty good at this. _"You need some help there?" he asks, glancing at me uncertainly. “Wouldn’t want you to drop all your dollar store items.”__

__“I am quite capable, thank you very much,” I tell him, heading towards the door. "But you enjoy your day off from us.”_ _

__“And you enjoy your precious charity event, scavenger.” He steps aside as I brush past him, pushing the door open with my hip and walking out towards the elevator._ _

__Somehow, through my spectacular flexibility skills, I manage to take the elevator down to the lobby, get out and cross the busy street to the parking garage then make it all the way to Poe’s waiting buick, all without dropping a single thing._ _

__“Why didn’t you get us to come up and help you?” Finn asks, grabbing the cartons of ice cream and putting them in the freezer in the trunk._ _

__“Because I am a pro at this,” I gloat, throwing the bag and box in the back seat and climbing in. “Also, I got to show off in front of Kylo.”_ _

__“Right on,” Poe says tiredly from the driver’s seat. I forgot he normally isn’t up this early. He’s got two cups of coffee beside him though, so I assume he’ll be fine._ _

__* * *_ _

__After getting breakfast at Starbucks, it takes just over an hour for us to arrive at the Endor Race Track Center. Most of the others on set up duty get there when we do, so we immediately start setting up the tables. We tell Poe to go find something to do on his own since he isn’t on set up duty. He goes to explore the still closed race tracks, probably trying to find a way to sneak in. Or bullshit his way in._ _

__It’s a little after nine by the time we’ve set up the tables and the decorations. All the pizza is supposed to be arriving around eleven thirty, so we decide to hang out until then. A few people stay behind to watch over everything while the rest of us go and check out the town. Finn and I go meet with Poe at the racetracks, which are open now, but Poe admits that he wormed his way into a few places he wasn’t supposed to. So we end up watching the first race of the day and eating some hot dogs while we wait._ _

__We are just heading back to the tables when Jessika calls and says the pizzas are here. Poe doesn’t have to work until later, but he decides to help out anyway._ _

__“Goddamn, these are hot,” Finn grits, dropping his stack of boxes onto the table and shaking his hands to cool them off._ _

__“They must take after you,” Poe says, winking at him as he walks past with his stack of pizzas._ _

__“Well, there’s a lot more,” I say, gritting my teeth as the heat from the bottom of the boxes starts searing into my hands as well. “We’d better get them all out and start selling them before they go cold.”_ _

__“I love cold pizza,” Finn says._ _

__“I know, I do to, but apparently the world is full of crazy people who don’t think too highly of it,” I say, narrowing my eyes at Poe who looks at us with disgust._ _

__“Pizza is not meant to be cold!” he insists. “There’s nothing worse than ice cold dough and sauce sinking into your teeth.”_ _

__“No, he’d rather the sauce burn his tongue senseless,” Finn grins at me._ _

__“Well, regardless, we need to get all of these pizzas out on plates as soon as possible,” I say as Mark and I bring the last of the hundreds of pizza boxes out of the last truck._ _

__“Sure thing, boss,” Poe replies._ _

__It takes us until a little after twelve thirty to set up all the food and place it on the tables. We have five tables holding tons of plates and we set up four people to each table to continue setting out the food once people start buying them. Me, Jessika, and Finn are handling the money at the front table and then of course we have everyone else working at the last table handing out the ice cream._ _

__At exactly one pm, the crowds start forming. I thank my lucky stars that we were able to get a spot right by the race tracks, because it just brings even more people who didn’t even know about the event. And pizza and ice cream before or after seeing the races is pretty damn irresistible since the food at the racetrack is drastically overpriced. We end up having a non stop flow of people for nearly four hours straight. I actually start to worry that we don’t have enough food, so I make a quick call to order more pizza and Brandi makes a rather long trip to the store in town to buy another carton of ice cream cups._ _

__The crowd starts to quiet down a little around four thirty, but we stay open until seven. We’re actually able to sell about ten times more than what we were expecting. I beam as I gather all of the money we made into the last of the donation boxes. It looks like the special needs starter schools will be getting a very hefty donation._ _

__Most everyone has gone home except for the clean up crew. And Finn who now gets to sit off on a bench and eat the leftovers until Poe and I are ready to go. We throw away all the discarded plates, cups, boxes, tablecloths, etc._ _

__“I’d call this mission a success, boss,” Poe grins at me as we both take each side of the last tablecloth and shake off all the crumbs._ _

__“Indeed,” I agree as we fold the cheap paper cloth together. We figure we’d be respectful and not just toss everything into the garbage all sprawled out and overflowing. The least we can do for the community after they let us host our event here._ _

__“So, what are we doing this weekend?” Poe asks as we start to fold the tables up._ _

__“I don’t know,” I answer, “you’re always the one who comes up with the plans.” He looks thoughtful as we all finish loading the tables onto the truck. We all take a last look around, making sure we didn’t leave anything._ _

__“Well, I think it’s time to head back to hustle and bustle of the big city,” Brandi says._ _

__“Thank you so much you guys, you all did amazing,” I say, looking around at the few of us who are still here._ _

__“No sweat,” Jonas, our intern, grins excitedly. “That was fun.”_ _

__“Feel free to take whatever’s left over,” I say, gesturing over to the picnic table holding the leftover pizza and ice cream, currently being picked apart by Finn._ _

__“Hell no, everyone has to wait till I’m done,” Finn says through a mouthful of pizza. We all laugh and Poe goes over to drag his boyfriend up and away form the table._ _

__“Calm down buddy, I’ll get you some junk food when we get home,” he says. Finn snags another cup of ice cream before Poe pulls him away._ _

__“I have an idea!” Finn says, finishing the last of his pizza as the others head over to grab the rest of the leftovers. “Why don’t we have a Friday night movie marathon? Our place, you can stay the night Rey, we’re all driving back together anyway.” I raise my eyebrows, grabbing my purse._ _

__“That actually sounds awesome right now,” I say honestly._ _

__“Great!” Poe says. “And I’ve just had a thought, tomorrow night, we should hit the skating rink.”_ _

__“Sounds good to me!” Finn exclaims. We say goodbye to everyone and then head over to Poe’s car._ _

__“So, what are we watching and how much popcorn do I need to make?” Poe asks as we all climb in the car. I stack the money boxes next to me in the backseat._ _

__“You’re gonna have to stop by the office so I can drop these off first,” I say. “And you’ll have to drive me back tomorrow so I can get my car.”_ _

__“That’s fine,” Poe answers._ _

__“I’m really feeling the Sleepaway Camp trilogy,” Finn says. “We’ll have to make at least two full buckets of popcorn, possibly more.”_ _

__

__It’s dark by the time we get back to Coruscant. It’s a little past nine and the streets are lit up by the bright red and yellow glare of car lights and the golden luminescence of the many windowed buildings._ _

__“You want me to pull up and let you out, or park in the parking garage and wait?” Poe asks, glancing around at the surrounding cars, his rapid quick mind no doubt laying out all his possible maneuvers._ _

__“Um… just pull over and let me out,” I say. “I guess you can drive around the block, I’ll text you when I’m outside.”_ _

__“Sounds good.” He somehow manages to get out of the traffic line and pull up alongside the front doors of First Order. I grab the money boxes under my arm and jump out of the car. I walk through the front glass doors to the unusually empty lobby. It’s always so weird to only see four or five people walking through the giant room._ _

__I grin politely at Randy before heading down the hall to the elevator that takes me up to my floor. When I arrive, it seems even quieter than downstairs. The military hall still seems to be pretty active, but our hall is completely dark. It reminds me that it’s been a little while since I’ve last stayed late._ _

__I walk across the floor to our hall and go to the first door leading into the smaller workroom. I walk in and flick the lights on. My eyes automatically snap shut against the humming white lights and I stumble my way over to the counter, slowly opening my eyes to adjust to the sudden burst of light. I place the boxes down on the counter and grab my work keys from my pocket to unlock one of the cabinets. I put the boxes in and lock up the cabinets._ _

I’m just about to turn the lights on and head out when I hear something clash against the wall just down the hall. I jump slightly, startled by the sudden booming the wall apparently took from something. I stop in the doorway, my hand hovering over the light switch. _Did something fall? _I put my hand on the doorframe and slowly peek my head around the corner. It sounded more like someone ran head first into the wall.__

______I glance down to the end of the hall and see a tall figure standing there. I can tell who it is by the all black outfit, jet black hair, and humongous build. I turn off the lights and slowly step out into the hall, closing the door behind me. Kylo stands against the wall at the end of the hallway across from the break room. His arm is up over his head, his fist pressing into the wall, solving the mystery of the booming noise. His dark hair hangs around his face, but I can tell he’s breathing shakily. Everything about him seems one hundred percent more tense than usual and he seems like he’s trying to calm himself down before having an outrage._ _ _ _ _ _

____I walk slowly as I approach him, unsure if he’s noticed me by now or not. I’m not sure if I’ll just piss him off by talking to him, but I can’t help but feel he seems…. really upset. Given our particular relationship, I’m not sure why I should even care or worry. But I do._ _ _ _

____“Is everything ok?” I ask quietly, not wanting to startle him in case he hadn’t seen me. His tremulous breathing immediately stops and for some reason that makes my body freeze. We both stand in silence for a few moments in the unlit hallway, unmoving and each probably waiting for the other to speak._ _ _ _

____“I thought you were out of town,” he finally says after what feels like forever. I start breathing again after not having realized I’d stopped._ _ _ _

____“I was. I had to come back to drop something off,” I explain. He relaxes his hands and slides his arm down from the wall. “I’m guessing we missed out on a rather exciting day?” I offer, trying to lighten the mood a little. I know I probably shouldn’t pry too hard to figure out what happened. He turns to face me, leaning his back against the wall. To my surprise the looks he gives me is… warm._ _ _ _

____“You could say that,” he answers. I nod, understandingly._ _ _ _

“Well, at least it’s Friday. We have a little break now. From all of this.” He grins, still looking down at me. _What _does_ he do when he’s not at work? _I don’t think I’ve never pictured him anywhere outside of the office before.__

__________I look towards the elevator, knowing now would probably be the best time to let him be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I should probably go, I have…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“People waiting,” he finishes. I nod. “I guess I’ll see you Monday, scavenger.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“See you.” I turn and walk towards the elevator. I can feel his eyes follow me all the way until the doors close and I’m on my way down to the lobby._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I follow Finn into the kitchen to get the next batch of popcorn going while Poe gets  
Sleepaway Camp II started. It’s almost midnight now and I already know I’ll probably fall asleep before this one’s over. I’m wearing one of Finn’s old t shirts that goes down almost to my knees for pajamas, like I normally do when I stay over unexpectedly. We always have a set of things for each other at our apartments in case we stay over on a whim._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Put garlic salt on it this time!” Poe calls over. “And make a pot of coffee, I’m fallin’ asleep just standing up.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“On it,” Finn nods, reaching over to start up the coffee pot. Finn usually has to operate most things in the kitchen because Poe doesn’t know an oven from a microwave. I always thought it was funny that a man who is basically a genius with fixing up cars is almost completely helpless when it comes to kitchen appliances. “So, you ready for the big day coming up?” Finn asks me as I grab the garlic salt from the top cabinet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, taking the finished popcorn out of the microwave and thinking anxiously about the presentation.  
Finn pushes the large bowl in front of me as I open up the bag and pour the searing hot kernels in. “I just got an email telling us the schedule. We’re going at two thirty on Wednesday.” The guitar riff from the theme song of Sleepaway Camp II fills the room. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We’ll all be pacing the office waiting to hear how it went,” Finn says, continuing to fix up the coffee while I sprinkle garlic salt on the popcorn. “So, I’m guessing you’ll be meeting with Leia on Monday to discuss all the money we made today?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah. She’ll be so happy, I had no idea we’d make that much.” I grab a few cups from the cabinet and Finn gets some cream from the fridge that he likes to put in his coffee. I bite my lip, unsure why I want to discuss what’s been sticking in my mind for a little while. “I ran into Kylo on my way out.” Finn looks up, freezing for a moment before slowly continuing to spoon the ground coffee beans into the pot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What did he say this time?” he asks, all lightheartedness gone from his tone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Not much,” I answer, hopefully nonchalantly. “I think he was upset about something.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Isn’t he always?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, yeah, but this time seemed… different. I don’t know, I just asked him if he was alright and we kind of had a very censored conversation.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Censored?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah. It felt like we were talking very… carefully. Like we had a bunch of things we wanted to say, but we just talked about what we thought the other person wanted to hear.” Finn stares at me with narrowed eyes. “Does that makes sense?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No,” he answers without hesitation. I grin and roll my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well it’s hard to explain. I guess you had to be there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What is up with you and him lately?” I grab the bowl and scoff at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What do you mean?” I ask, though deep down, I know exactly what he’s talking about. He looks at me with disbelief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Come on, really? You’ve been acting differently with him now. For as long as you’ve known him, you’ve had nothing but vexation for him, and now you’re always talking about him as if…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“As if what?!” I exclaim in incredulity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“As if you’re… cool with each other. Like you and him are all buddy-buddy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Jealous are we, Finn?” Poe calls over form the couch. This just makes Finn even more irritated and me turn bright red._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Will you two just stop already?” I ask, marching over into the living room and plopping down on the couch. “Can we just finish watching these movies and not talk about work?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sounds good to me,” Poe says reaching into the bowl and grabbing a handful of popcorn._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, you’re right,” Finn sighs, bringing over three cups of coffee. “It’s been a long fucking week, and I just want to watch Pamela Springsteen slice and dice some naughty campers.” I laugh and Poe pulls Finn down onto the couch next to him, kissing him firmly on the lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	10. Chapter 10

Kylo P.O.V

“I’ve told you over and over again, Ren,” Hux drawls on while I stand in front of him, pretending to listen. “It displeases Snoke greatly whenever you go over his head like this. You seem to forget you are not the Head of this department, neither are you the sole assistant manager. If Snoke wants us to expand our armies to the Outer Rim, that is what we are doing. Not wasting time sending help to troops who’ve already lost the base.” I raise my eyebrows, waiting to see if he’s done with his little tantrum. “And you _certainly _don’t make a move like this without consulting myself either.”__

__“You would’ve thrown a hissy fight either way,” I reply, “I did everyone a favor by sparing us all of that. Now it’s just me who has to hear it, but I figure that that’s inevitable.”_ _

“Oh, so this is all very funny to you, is it?” Hux asks, steam practically shooting out of his ears. “Well, I can assure you, Snoke won’t find any of this the _least _bit amusing.”__

____

__“I’ll let you worry about that,” I answer him, grabbing the files I need to work through and stepping around the enraged redhead, heading out into the hall. “You can tell him if you want, we both know it won’t change anything.”_ _

__“Oh, really?”_ _

__“Yes, really. As much as you try Hux, you’re not going to be able to get me fired.”_ _

__When I arrive in the main hallway, I stop in my tracks when I see the scavenger girl standing in the middle of the hall along with that short dark haired man she’s friends with and another woman from her department. She glances up at me and holds my gaze for a few seconds before going back to whatever she’s talking about with them. She’s more dressed up than usual in a half sleeved black blazer with a royal blue shirt and a tight fitting white skirt with a thin black belt and black flats. Today must be her turn for the presentation. We had ours last night._ _

__“Nervous, scavenger?” I ask, grinning slightly._ _

__“No reason to be,” she answers back._ _

__“Well, as long as you utilize that oh so cheerful personality, I’m sure you’ll get by just fine.”_ _

“As opposed to your gloom and doom aura?” she asks, looking up at me and crossing her arms. “Exactly how did _you _do with your presentation when you seem to hate everyone you work with?”__

______“That’s my little secret,” I reply, opening the door to the break room. “But good luck anyway. You’re gonna need it.” I close the door behind me and walk to one of the tables next to the long windows and throw the files in front of me, sitting at the small round table._ _ _ _ _ _

____I look through the clear glass walls of the break room and watch for a moment before Rey and the two others go into the elevator to head up to the board meeting room._ _ _ _

____I don’t know what it is about the scavenger girl that has changed over the past couple of weeks. At first I didn’t even notice how much closer attention I was giving her pretty much whenever I ran into her. But perhaps I’d always paid close attention to her. It wasn’t until the other night when I nearly lost it with Snoke and had to go out in the hall to cool off that I realized how her presence immediately calmed me. Or distracted me. Either way, I was grateful she happened to be there. Then when I wondered why that was, I realized how well I unintentionally know her. I’d be able to recognize her voice anywhere, her small yet durable frame, the subtle smell of the perfume she always wears. I never thought about those things before, but I’ve always known them. If someone had asked me to describe her laugh, her voice, her eyes, her hair, her lips, I’d be able to. The thought unsettled me at first._ _ _ _

I shake my head, opening up the files and trying to stick my attention onto them. _This is getting pretty fucking ridiculous _I tell myself. I don’t even like this girl. That’s what I had decided the first day I met her. Or, rather, the first day we bitterly crossed paths. I have more important things to focus on than the preppy little charity scavenger.__

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

______Rey P.O.V_ _ _ _ _ _

______I run through the open doors of the main workroom, unsurprisingly finding everyone standing anxiously waiting, some pretending to be focused on work. But everyone snaps their heads up as Poe, Jessika, and I enter the room. I can’t keep the huge giddy grin off my face as I run right to Finn and jump into his arms. Everyone then begins cheering as Finn and I laugh and Poe and Jessika go around high fiving and embracing everyone._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So I take it everything went a little better than planned?” Brandi asks as she and Jessika hug excitedly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You could say that,” Poe says before finally approaching Finn and taking him into his arms._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Several of the Board members said they’d deeply consider increasing our budget to expand our development,” I explain excitedly, “and from the look on Leia’s face, that wasn’t just bullshit.” The room erupts in cheers again, and I hope that we’re pissing off everyone down the military hall._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So, I guess you could say that we all severely kicked ass in our presentation,” Jessika states proudly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It is true, we are officially the most badass team here,” Poe agrees, “we had the best presentation by far. And I don’t even have to see the other presentations to know it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, we’ve all worked hard enough,” I say, looking graciously out at all the employees. “I’d say we earned it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“And to celebrate, I ordered doughnuts that should be here by three,” Poe finishes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You ordered doughnuts without knowing how the presentation was going to go?” I ask, looking over at him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, I figured if it went shitty, they would be pick-me-up doughnuts. But since we kicked ass, as I knew we would, yes, they are celebratory doughnuts that I ordered this morning.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“He even got up the same time as me so he’d have time to order them,” Finn confirms._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, Poe I’m impressed,” I say honestly. “That’s twice now within the span of six days.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey, we have one more reason to celebrate,” Rose speaks up._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why’s that?” I ask. Rose takes a step back, looking over at Mark, waiting for him to speak. We all look at Mark who takes a deep breath and has a bashful grin on his face._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I have a date with Miss Kelly D’Acy this Friday night,” he says, barely getting the full sentence out before being surrounded by our little group of cheering employees._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, good for him,” Finn says, grinning. Poe puts his arm around my shoulders._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Dating an older woman,” he says, shaking his head. “We’d better watch out for him.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I agree,” I nod, my eyes wide with mock worry._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Look around you, Rey,” Poe says, turning to look at me. “Everyone in the damn office is gettin’ some except you.” Finn laughs so hard he nearly falls onto the chair next to him, and I stare at Poe, mortified. “It’s true! We still need to find someone for you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I would have thought you’d have met some nice young man from the University by now,” Finn says after he’s calmed down._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I told you boys, I’m not ready to ‘date’.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Rey, the goal is to walk down the aisle,” Poe says pointedly. “Not be wheeled down the aisle.”_ _ _ _ _ _

“First of all, you copied that quote from Hannah Montana,” I tell him, “and second of all, I _certainly _am not ready to even_ think _about marriage.”__

____________“C’mon Poe, it’s ok if she isn’t thinking about dating right now,” Finn says. “She’s a young successful career woman. Maybe she’s not ready to settle down.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Exactly,” I concur._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Look, no one’s talking about slowing down,” Poe persists. “I found the man of my dreams, do you think _I’m _about to slow down? Hell no! The point is, it’s good for your heart and your soul to have someone by your side, ready to spend the rest of their life with you. Someone you know is always going to be there and will always think you are the most wonderful, perfect person on the entire planet. Someone who you never want to leave alone.” I look over and grin to see Finn biting his lip shyly while listening to Poe’s soliloquy. “And besides, the older we get, the more our natural human bodies have… needs that need to be met. And having a romantic partner fulfills your life to every degree in that aspect.”__

“Well, I think I’m fine with having my two best friends to be there for me as of now,” I reply. “And it’s perfectly fulfilling for me to see them discover that beautiful adventure of love you so eloquently described, on their own.” I glance around the room to make sure no one is listening to us before lowering my voice slightly. “And as for those _needs _, I’m able to satisfy them adequately all on my own, thank you very much.” Finn’s hand goes to his mouth trying to hold in his laughter, and this time he does fall onto the chair. Poe just nods, looking thoughtful.__

________________“Touche,” he admits. “Can’t argue with that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I pull my hands through my hair, staring down hardly at my notes. It’s a difficult one today. Most of us haven’t even said anything the entire class, and we only have fifteen minutes left. We’re discussing how anthropology is important to people like educators or business executives. A few people stated the obvious, that everyone should keep in touch with the norms of their culture in order to connect with whoever they’re catering to. But of course the goal is for us to think deeper and give a more complex analysis. We tried to broaden the question to why is anthropology important in general, but we weren’t even able to give thoughtful answers to that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I can see this has been a bit of a struggle for us,” Mr. Evans says after another few minutes of silence form the class. “Maybe we’d better try another approach. What is the definition of anthropology, in simple terms?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“It’s the study of humans,” a young man sitting in front of me answers. “Societies, cultures. Ultimately, the study of diversity of humans all around the world.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Excellent,” Mr. Evans nods. “And what would you say is a typical question an anthropologist would ask?” Silence falls once again. His gaze raises up to me. “Rey?” I look up and bite my lip anxiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well… I suppose they would ask….” I shrug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“They would ask what it means to be apart of a society,” a girl from the far corner of the room answers. Mr. Evans’ gaze stays on me a moment longer, as if he’s still expecting me to answer. “Or they would question people’s differing views of politics, religion, relationships, gender roles… all the things we’ve talked about the last couple of classes.” Mr. Evans nods, stepping back and looking out over all of us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Exactly,” he continues. “These are the basic foundations of anthropology. So, how would someone such as a marketer might utilize this information or have reason to study it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“A marketer needs to appeal to a target audience or potential buyers,” the young man from before answers. “They would need to know what people like, what people respond to. So, they would need to study the culture, what the masses are into and what they’re gonna buy.” The gentle murmur that runs through the room signifies that we are all finally beginning to understand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Exactly right,” Mr. Evans confirms, sounding relieved that we might be waking up from whatever education coma we’re all in. He glances up at the clock and we all begin packing up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I hear everyone discussing how hard everything’s getting with all their other classes and how worried they are they’re not going to pass all of their midterms. I feel a beautiful wave of relief that I was able to find a job I enjoy doing right after high school instead of having to go through college. I only have one class, one set of notes, and one midterm I have to focus on._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________As I walk down the rows of desks and head towards the door, my head snaps up to the two kids a couple feet ahead of me, where I swear I hear my name. I slow down, staring at them and straining my ears to hear what they’re talking about, letting the last few students walk ahead of me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Little difficult tonight?” I stop in front of Mr. Evans’ desk, still looking at the two students as they walk out into the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Huh?” I ask absentmindedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Was this one a bit of a struggle?” I finally look over at him as the door closes and shake myself out of my trance._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh. Yeah, little bit.” He stares at me oddly as I try to refocus my attention. I think I must be a little more tired than usual tonight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Is everything ok?” he asks unsurely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh, yes!” I say, shaking my head and smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I thought I just heard… never mind.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Thought you heard…?” I sigh, dropping my eyes to the top of his desk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I thought I heard someone say my name, I was just trying to hear if they were talking about me… I know, it’s all very high school, but I was just curious.” He nods, smiling slightly, as if he’s not surprised._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“They’re talking about how I always call on you,” he says. “I never call on anyone.” I stare at him, completely thrown off guard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Um… oh.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I’m sorry,” he laughs. “Truthfully, I didn’t even realize I was doing it until last Thursday when I heard some of them talking about it myself. To be honest Rey, it might just be because I got the chance to actually meet you the first day. I know your story, what you’re trying to do… I guess I’m just trying to make sure you get the most out of all this. I see a lot of potential in you.” I smile gratefully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I really appreciate that,” I say honestly. “Actually, I didn’t even notice you never called on anyone else until just now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well, I promise I’m not trying to pick on you or anything,” he says as we both laugh. “That would also be very high school.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Extremely high school,” I agree. “Seriously though, I do appreciate how helpful you’ve been.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You’re still considering having me help you out before the midterm essay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh, absolutely! I think I might need it, even though I’m not juggling several other classes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“No no, you have a career you’re working at, you definitely have much more on your shoulders,” he reassures me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well, I don’t know. We all have our own versions of stress I suppose.” I glance down at my phone. “I really should be going before it gets too late.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Of course. You have a good weekend, Rey. I’ll see you next week.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Thank you. You too.” I turn and walk towards the door and step out into the quieting hallway._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I walk down the hall towards the stairway, staring down at the ground bashfully. Maybe Mr. Evans does have a crush on me. Oh stars, why does that sound so wrong? I mean, it’s not like he’s unattractive. I might have even had a small crush on him the first day I met him. And I’ve heard a few girls whisper about how ‘unbelievably gorgeous’ he is. I should feel special that he pays so much attention to me, because from what I hear, many girls wouldn’t mind having attention from him. But something about dating your professor is a huge turn off for me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I’m being absolutely ridiculous. Here I go thinking my handsome college professor might like me just because he offered to give me some extra help. Only I would be so delusional as to blow this out of proportion. Or maybe Poe’s words are starting to get to me. Maybe I am subconsciously trying to find a romantic partner._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I roll my eyes as I walk down the stairs towards the parking lot. Well now I feel like a giggly little school girl. _Poe. I ought to kill you for riling me up like this. ___


	11. Chapter 11

Rey P.O.V

“The special needs booster received no less than five thousand dollars Friday morning to finally start putting some budget behind their in-school programs,” Leia says, grinning broadly. 

“That’s fantastic!” I reply. “I had no idea we would make so much.” Leia had called me up into her office when I came in this morning. I’m never sure if it’s good news or bad news, but as soon as I walked in and saw her expression, I knew. 

“It was you and the team who came up with everything,” she says. “You came up with the idea, got the location, the supplies, and all without us having a budget for any of it.”

“It was difficult, but we took a little extra time to make sure we were able to afford enough to make a real good display. Realistically, the sale should have been ready about three weeks before we were able to hold it, but I’d say it was worth it if everyone at the booster is happy.”

“Absolutely worth it,” Leia nods. “Rey, you continue to make me more and more relieved that I made you assistant manager.” I blush slightly, looking down at my hands.

“It’s not all me. We have a really good team. I couldn’t ask for better employees.”

“Sure, all of you are incredibly hard working. I’ve been beyond impressed with the amount of passion and drive you and all the other employees have put behind this department. You’ve helped us to make such a difference, and your presentation last week… Rey, I didn’t think you could do it, but your persistency actually had the Board members considering our needs for once. I’ll never know how you did it.” I stand up from sitting at her desk and join her by the large window overlooking the city.

“So… it’s really true?” I ask anxiously. “They really are considering increasing our budget?” She nods.

“From what I can tell, by the end of the month, we’ll have at least a three hundred dollar increase. Which, according to our accountant, is about nine percent of what most of the other departments will be getting. Which is an amazing development compared to the three point two percent we usually get.” She turns to me, grinning warmly. “And I owe it to you. You told me you’d be able to do it and you did. I should have you talk to the Board more often.” I laugh in disbelief. 

“Are you kidding, it’s nerve wracking the three times a year I have to do it!” We both laugh and she gently pats my arm. 

“You’re a very intelligent young woman, Rey. I hope it’s not too forward for me to say that I hope you plan on staying with us for a while.”

“Of course,” I answer seriously. “I am so grateful to be working here, and to you for giving me all of this.”

“You were fresh out of high school, but I could tell you were a driven young woman, capable of handling a fine career here.” I smile down at the kind woman who has been so incredibly generous to me. “Well, I don’t want to keep you up here all day.”

“Of course,” I grin. “I’ll talk to you at the end of this week to plan for the Wildlife event.”

“Right. I’ll see you soon, Rey.”

 

I walk out of the elevator into the main hallway of the floor. Of course, as fate would have it, Kylo is just walking down towards his hall.

“Have a stimulating weekend, scavenger?” he asks absentmindedly as we pass each other. 

“You could call it that. Did you smile at all this weekend, Mr. Darkness?”

“You wish!” he calls back as he walks down the hall. I shake my head, rolling my eyes.

I head into the small workroom and see Jarod and Finn already in there working on the food donations we’re giving to the Wildlife program. 

“Everything ok?” Finn asks, pouring a bag of horse feed into seperate bins. 

“Great,” I answer, grabbing a box of dog biscuits and beginning to pack them into the treat bags laying on the counter. “I see we’re getting a head start on this.”

“We figured we’d try and get it done before everyone else gets here,” Jarod explains, “that way, we can take all the credit and feel better than everyone else.”

“Well Jarod, that just shows incredible initiative,” I play along. “The next time I talk to Leia, I am going to discuss a significant pay raise for you.”

“Why thank you, Rey, I try my hardest,” he answers, putting his hand to his chest.

“What about me?!” Finn asks. “I’m your best friend, can’t I get a raise?”

“I don’t know, Finn. You’re going to have to prove to me that you are as charismatic and integral as Jarod here. Then I might consider it.” 

“Oh, you two are hilarious, you know that?” Finn asks as Jarod and I chuckle to ourselves. I hear my phone buzz and go over to the corner where I put my purse to check it.

“No phones during business hours, Rey,” Jarod teases.

“I’m the boss, I can do what I want,” I fire back, grinning. I look to see it’s a text from Leia. 

_New requests just came in. Emailed them to you just now. _  
_ Possible you can go through them by the end of today? ___

__I answer back yes while I bite my lip, thinking of when I can find time to fit that in. The schedule is pretty full today, so I might have to stay late for the first time in a few days._ _

__“Ok,” I say, turning back to the counter, “let’s get this moving, we have a lot to do today.”_ _

__“Yes, ma’am,” Jarod answers._ _

__“You gonna work us hard today?” Finn asks._ _

__“You know it, Finn. You might as well have joined the army when you signed up to work here.”_ _

__* * *_ _

__I print out the last part of the list Leia sent me. I take the three pages out, turn the printer off and shutdown the computer. It’s almost nine now, everyone from our department has gone home. Even the military hall seems pretty quiet._ _

__I take the papers with me and go down to the end of the hall where the storage room is._ _

__Leia gets emails from all different kinds of charities that reach out for our help, whether it be financial aid, supply donations, etc. At the end of each month, she puts together a list of all the organizations that emailed her and what they’re asking for. She sends the list off to me and I pull out all the files we have on each of the organizations. If it’s one we’ve never worked with before, I go online, do some quick research, and create a new file for them. I already quickly looked through the list and printed out all the new files we needed. I know which ones we have and didn't have since I’ve pretty much all but memorized all the files in this room. Now all I have to do is find the ones we do have and put everything together in the binder we have that is basically our work schedule._ _

I look down at the list, then go to the F cabinet to find the Foster International file. I yank it out and set it under the list on a small chair that’s always been sitting in the room for some odd reason. My eyes scan the list again. _GuideLife. _I go to the G file.__

______I pull out the file just as the door swings open, making me jump a little. The lights in the room are pretty dim, so I have to squint to try and see who’s standing in the doorway._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Rey, isn’t it?” a man’s voice speaks out. To my great surprise, it’s Rob Leavy._ _ _ _

____“Oh. Rob. What are you doing over here?” He walks, or rather stumbles, into the room._ _ _ _

____“I thought I heard someone down here. Hasn’t everyone gone home?”_ _ _ _

____“I had some work to finish, I’m staying late,” I answer, turning back to what I was doing. I reach through the drawer and grab the GlobalGift file as well. Rob walks further into the room, letting the door shut behind him. “Was there something you needed?” I ask, tossing the two files onto the chair._ _ _ _

“Something I…. no, no,” he laughs, shaking his head. I turn to look at him. He looks… weird. I can’t tell if he’s angry or tired. And what in the hell is he _doing _here anyway? “I just… heard you down here…” I start to get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as he circles around the small room, absentmindedly running his hand over the cabinets. I place the files I was going through on top of the drawer and close it.__

________“Well, what did you want?” I ask, without turning around. I wait for him to answer, but suddenly feel my stomach jump when his hand is around my hip._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“You know,” he says quietly, leaning in behind me, “you’re kinda pretty.” I whip around, yanking his hand from my hip._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I think you should leave,” I say, glaring at him. He takes a step back and I bite my teeth together, trying to calm the sudden shaking that has taken over me. He laughs before taking another step towards me._ _ _ _ _ _

“I think I don’t want to,” he says back, his tone darkening. His eyes roam up my body, looking like a wild dog and making me feel sick. _Keep it together, keep it together…_

“Please leave _now _,” I demand, taking a step back. My blood goes cold when I bump up against the cabinet. He notices.__

____________He’s on me in a second, before I can even think of a plan. He shoves me harder against the cabinet, grabbing my arms and pressing against me. I gasp as my shoulders smack against the cold metal. He stares down at me furiously before leaning in and clobbering his lips down onto mine. I thrash out, kicking my legs and successfully getting him in the shin. His lips disappear from my mouth as he cries out in pain, but he still keeps his grip on my arms. I use my whole body to shove back against him, finally freeing me from being up against the cabinet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I try to yank my arms out of his grasp, but he holds on even tighter, making me hunch over and gasp in pain as his fingers crush down on my bones. He swings me around so that I’m facing the other side of the room and throws me against the wall before yanking me back towards him and trying to force me down onto the ground._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I manage to stay up in a crouching position, but only just. He pushes down harder and I scream in an effort to push back against him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Don’t worry,” he says, grinning down darkly at me. “No one’s gonna hear us.” I scowl up at him, already seeing a way out. I’m not as strong as him, but I’m smaller and hopefully faster. In one quick movement I twist myself around, forcing him to loosen his grip so he doesn’t break his wrists. I yank myself away from his grasp and dive towards the door. But I’m just a second too slow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________My fingers brush against the doorknob before I’m yanked back by my hair. I collide against Rob again and he slams me up against the wall, holding my waist. I don’t hesitate. I use my free hand to punch him as hard as I can in the mouth. He shouts in pain and anger, but still holds onto my hair. He looks up, and I see his mouth is slightly bleeding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You little _bitch! _” he hisses and my head cracks to the side as his palm connects with the side of my face. I breathe slowly, trying to regather myself as he throws himself up against me again, his hand tearing at my shirt and roughly palming over my chest. I quickly bring both my hands up, one to pull his away, and the other to scratch down the side of his face as hard as I can. I keep ahold of his wrist, pushing as hard as I can and vowing not to let go until I feel it crack in my grasp.__

______________The door slams open. Rob and I both freeze, startled out of our minds, though him probably more than me. I only glance at the tall figure standing in the doorway for a second before turning my attention back to a now very much distracted Rob and knee him in the groin. He releases my hair and stumbles back as I straighten myself out, breathing rapidly, half in fright and half in adrenaline. I look back to the figure standing in the doorway, holding the door open. My eyes widen slightly when I recognize the tall, dark clothed man I just ran into this morning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Kylo doesn’t even look at me. His cold, penetrating gaze stays on Rob as he stumbles around trying to pull himself together. Rob’s expression grows wild with worry and anger as he identifies the man who just burst in on us. Kylo’s hand slowly falls from the door, as I stand completely frozen in place. Something in his stare frightens the hell out of me. Everything about him right now is something I’ve never seen in him before. He looks deadly still, yet his hands shake slightly. His violent glare looks like it could kill, and not in the way I always thought it had before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Leavy,” he starts in a fatally quiet tone. Rob stands up straighter, wiping the blood away from his face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Ren, you don’t-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I am sure you have a perfectly well thought out explanation for what I am seeing here,” Kylo continues, staring at him with unblinking rage. “And I also trust you know that if you don’t leave this building right now, Snoke will be incredibly interested by what I have to tell him about _you _.” Rob stiffens, trying to look unaffected.__

“You’re going to _blackmail _me with this?” he asks, trying to sound controlled, but failing to counter the slight shudder in his voice.__

“Just _leave _,” Kylo commands, his tone becoming even quieter. Rob stands, shifting around on his feet for a moment, as if thinking of challenging Kylo. But he then probably thinks better of it and strides out of the room, stepping around Kylo who looks like a ticking landmine that is going to go off at any second.__

After Rob’s somewhat scattered footsteps have left the hall, I tentatively step forward, looking down at myself, pulling my shirt back up over myself. _Everything seems to be alright. I think I did more damage to him. _I look up to see that Kylo, who still hasn’t moved from the doorway, is now staring at me. The murderous glare is gone now, replaced by a gaze I can’t quite read.__

______________________His eyes shift to the floor and around the room as I step closer toward him, as if he wants to look anywhere but at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Are you alright?” he asks blankly. I stop, looking up at him with an unsure expression._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes,” I answer after a moment after being slightly taken off guard by his concern. I chew on my lip, feeling awkward about what I want to say to him. “Um… thank you,” I stutter out lamely. Kylo nods, as if he understands what I’m trying to say, but it makes no difference to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“He’ll be gone by tomorrow,” he says before turning sharply and walking back down the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I stand still for a moment trying to comprehend everything that just happened in the past two minutes. I pace around the storage room for a bit before I’ve calmed down enough to walk out across the hall to the small workroom, grab my purse, and get the hell out of here. Once I get to the elevator, I try standing completely to still to make sure I’m not shaking and am ok to drive. I don’t know how, but I pass the test. _Just go home _I tell myself._ Just get home and get some rest. Figure out all these thoughts in the morning. Just focus on driving home and sleeping. That’s all you have to worry about right now. _I have to repeat this to myself the entire way home.__

__________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________I stride down the hallway, breathing unevenly as my fingernails dig into my palms. There are only two or three people still working, and thankfully, none of them bother asking me for anything as I brush past the workrooms and head straight for the private office._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________I slam the door shut behind me and lock it, grateful to everything holy that Hux isn’t here to bug me right now. I pace around the room, feeling the familiar burning rage pounding through every inch of my body. It’s been so long since I’ve almost lost it like this, I nearly forgot how it feels._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I knew I’d catch that son of a bitch someday. I knew he’d slip up somehow and I’d catch him right in the act. I always assumed I’d be able to snag him while he clumsily stole the money out of the account. Even though I’d heard the rumors about what he tried doing with women he’d catch alone, I never thought he’d be dumb enough to go _this _far.__

I slam my fist against the wall. But I did see it. He was doing those disgusting things. And it had to be with _her _. It was_ her _I had to catch him with. Her that he chose to corner and put his hands all over. I slam my fist against the wall over and over again, gritting my teeth in blind fury, seeing again the mental image of him holding her against the wall by her hair as he clawed at her shirt. The red mark on her left cheek where he obviously had struck her. I whip around toward the desk and smash my foot against it, sending it sliding a few inches back, it’s contents clanking off onto the floor.__

Why? Why would anyone want to _hurt _her like that? Rey, who is so light, and good, and beautiful…__

I drop to my knees, about ready to punch a hole right through the fucking desk. I take a few breaths, feeling the burning hot rage start to calm down slightly. Why do I feel like it’s _my _fault? Like I should have been there before he could lay a hand on her?__

I briefly remember what Luke tried teaching me about keeping it in check. _“Just breath. Close your eyes… feel yourself quieting the anger down, pushing it under the surface. Relax…” _Luke’s persistent spiritual advice never much suited me. But that never stopped him from constantly trying to get me to do all those meditation techniques I already know won’t work.__

______________________________________I stand back up, stepping around the fallen supplies that had tumbled down off the desk. I reach around for the phone and press the number for Snoke’s office. Technically, considering the hour, this should wait until tomorrow, but I feel like I’m as calm as I’ll ever be about this now, so I want to get it done tonight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Snoke, it’s Ren,” I say when his private secretary hands him the phone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Ren,” he answers back in his deep hissing voice. “What is it? Has there been a problem?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Yes,” I respond, my voice already starting to shake again. “Remember that Leavy guy you thought was so great?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	12. Chapter 12

Rey P.O.V.

I gently set my things down in the corner of the workroom, hanging up my phone and putting it in my purse. I called Leia to let her know I wasn’t able to finish organizing everything last night because something had come up. She understood and agreed when I promised I’d get everything to her by nine this morning.

Before I arrived, I wasn’t sure if anything had gotten out about last night, and I was rather hoping it didn’t. But according to what Maz told me on our way up the elevator, everyone seems to know that Rob Leavy was fired, but no one knows for sure why. Maz seemed to believe the rumor that it was because he stole thousands of dollars from his branch’s account. I told her that seemed likely. I’m honestly surprised it only took that small amount of time for him to be fired. I didn’t even have to tell anyone anything about what happened. Which to be entirely truthful, I’m glad. 

I saw Finn in the breakroom when I arrived on our floor, but I headed straight down the hall to the workroom instead of meeting him like I normally do. I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone until I absolutely have to. I know I’m going to have to tell Finn what happened, he’ll know something’s up as soon as he sees me. My hand brushes up against the red mark that’s still on the side of my face and I quickly tug my hair down over it. I’d put some make up over it this morning, but since I barely use the stuff, I’m not sure how it looks.

Luckily I didn’t see Kylo this morning either. I don’t know what in the world I would say to him.

The door to the small workroom opens and Finn walks in, setting his keys down on the counter.

“Hey, Rey. I went out and bought that extra rabbit feed for the Wildlife donation. I think it should be enough, but I’ll call Poe and tell him to get his ass up and get some more if we need it.” I nod, fiddling around with a few things on the counter anxiously. “Oh, did you hear? That guy Rob Leavy, the one we were talking about just a few weeks ago? He got _fired _.”__

__“I know,” I say, nodding._ _

“Mark was telling me he was messing with another employee… a woman. I mean, I knew there was something shady about the guy, but I didn’t know he was _that _low. I was wondering if it was true or not, you know how rumors spread around here…”__

______“It is true,” I assert, turning to face him. He looks up at me and frowns, noticing the expression on my face._ _ _ _ _ _

____“How do you know?” he asks, looking carefully at me. I sigh, wishing that Finn could somehow read my mind so I don’t have to say it. It somehow makes it all the more humiliating._ _ _ _

____“Because he was fired for what he tried to do to me.” Finn just stands there for a few moments, his eyes frozen in horror. I stand in front of him, trying to think of something, anything to say that would maybe lighten the mood. “He walked away in a lot of pain, I can assure you of that.”_ _ _ _

____“Good lord, Rey.” He walks up to me and embraces me tightly. I wrap my arms around him, closing my eyes and thanking the stars that I have such an amazing best friend. He pulls away suddenly, looking at me closely. “What did he do to you, are you ok?”_ _ _ _

____“I’m fine,” I answer quickly, nodding my head in reassurance. “Trust me, he looks worse than I do.” Finn stares at me for a second, then laughs._ _ _ _

____“I believe that,” he says, grinning. It quickly disappears again. “It happened last night. When you were here late? By yourself?”_ _ _ _

____“Yes. He came down here while I was still working. I think he might have been drunk.”_ _ _ _

____“Well, what happened, how did you stop him?”_ _ _ _

____“I… I had some help.” He stares at me in confusion. I cross my arms over my chest, looking down at the ground. “You’ll never guess who came to my aid once again.” Finn’s eyes widen again as he figures it out._ _ _ _

“ _Kylo? _” I nod. Finn looks absolutely flabbergasted. “How… when… why was_ he _down here?” I shake my head slowly, realizing I never thought to ask that question.__

__________“I’m not sure. But I’m glad he was.” Finn sighs, looking down at the ground and probably deciding to drop the matter before looking up at me again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Are you going to tell Poe? You know he’s gonna hear all the rumors too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I think I have to,” I admit. “I’d rather him hear it from me than from someone else. Just in case it gets out.” Finn nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t think I’d be able to keep it from him,” he admits, looking up at me anxiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I understand,” I say, nodding. “It’s not like I don’t want him to know, it’s just…” Finn nods understandingly, thankfully sparing me from having to explain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I get it,” he assures me. “I won’t say anything to him until you do.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And you know I won’t tell anyone else.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know that.” I close my eyes in exasperation, picturing the endless looks of concern and pity that would befall me should anyone find out. “I just hope the rumor mill doesn’t start getting all the facts.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, why hasn’t this got out?” Finn asks seriously. “Rob was just… fired, you didn’t have to… I don’t know, testify or something?” I shake my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I walked into work this morning and heard on the elevator that he was fired. And that nobody knows for sure why he got thrown out.” Finn looks off in thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So you, me and Kylo are the only ones that know?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“As far as I know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Weird…” I shake my head and smile lightly, wanting to start moving past this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You know, I think we should probably get to work,” I say, snapping Finn out of his thoughtful daze. “I still have all the filing to finish.” I walk past him and head out into the hall towards the storage room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Want some help?” Finn asks, leaning out from the doorway. I turn around and smile warmly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That would be great.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I walk into the break room to grab a few waters from the fridge. Finn, Rose, Mark, and I have all been working on finalizing everything for the Wildlife donation all morning. It’s safe to say our brains are good and fried and it’s not even lunch yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I turn around with four small water bottles in my hands just as Kylo Ren enters the room. He looks right at me, closing the door behind him. I feel my face grow hot as I stare at him with wide eyes, probably looking like a deer in headlights. He walks further into the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Good morning,” he says, stepping around me to turn on the coffee pot sitting on the counter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Morning,” I manage out. He shuffles through the cups and I start heading for the side door that leads down our hallway. I start to reach for the handle, then stop and walk back towards Kylo. “Look, I…” he looks over at me. “Um… I just wanted to thank you again… for last night.” He puts down what he was doing and turns so his body is facing mine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“How are you?” he asks, his eyes narrowing slightly as he seems to search through my gaze. I don’t answer for a moment, but then quickly shake myself awake again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh. I’m fine-” I freeze as his hand reaches up towards me. His fingers touch underneath my jaw, turning my head slightly as he gently runs his thumb over the side of my face, his eyes studying it hard. He can see through my poor makeup attempt. “I’m ok, really,” I promise, but my voice has become much quieter. He keeps his hand on my face a moment longer before lowering it slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, you certainly did more damage to him,” he decides, leaning back against the counter. I smile to myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I hope so.” I look back up at him, my expression questioning. “How in the world did you get him fired?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I told Snoke what happened,” he answers, as if that’s all I’d need to know._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And he was just… fired. Just like that?” Kylo sighs, looking as if there is a lot to explain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I have a certain amount of… influence,” he describes. “I’ve never lied to Snoke once in my entire time here. I’m one of the only ones who can say that, and he knows that. I was able to explain what happened, and when Leavy was called in, he all but walked himself out the door when he realized Snoke knew. I never planned on blackmailing him, and if he was smart, he would have known that.” I nod slowly. “I didn’t say anything about you. Your name or anything. I figured you wouldn’t appreciate that being a hot topic of discussion throughout the entire building. I know I wouldn’t.” I raise my eyebrows, suddenly feeling even a hundred times more grateful to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thank you. You’re right, I wouldn’t have liked that at all.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I look down for a moment, the question I’ve had since this morning still burning in my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Can I ask… um, how did you… how did you know that something was happening?” I ask hesitantly. He nods, understanding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’d heard things about him before… what he tries doing with women when he catches them alone. Phasma had just chewed him out pretty good about some idiotic move he made. He looked angrier than usual, I guessed he had probably been drinking. He stormed off down the hall. I didn’t think much of it at first, but… this time, it bugged me that I didn’t know where he was going. Then I remembered you stay and work late by yourself a lot… I don’t know, I guess I just got a bad feeling.” I nod, never in my life feeling more thankful for Kylo Ren’s existence. “And, listen, I’m sorry about just leaving you here last night. I should have offered to drive you home-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, no, it’s ok. Driving actually kind of helped me calm down a little.” He nods. We both stand in silence for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. “Well, I suppose I owe you yet again,” I say, grinning. A small smile creeps onto his face. I turn to walk toward the door again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know how you can repay me.” I stop, staring at the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And how’s that?” I ask, turning back around. To my surprise, he holds his hand out to me. I stare at it in confusion, then look up at him questioningly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Truce?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I press my lips together and stare at the ground. I laugh to myself, wondering how it all came to this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I reach out and shake his hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Truce,” I agree._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You know, when we finally get all this shit outta here, I’ll be damn grateful,” Poe says as he and I load the last of the animal food donations onto the trolleys. “It’s starting to smell like a zoo in here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, these are the last ones,” Mark says, coming back down the hall to take the last cart. He looks up at me desperately. “Right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes,” I assure him. “Can you handle this last one ok?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sure thing boss, I’ve got it,” Mark says, taking ahold of the cart after we finish putting the last the bags of food on._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Poe… can I talk to you for a second,” I ask as Mark heads down the hall toward the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, sure,” he answers. I let the doors to the workroom close and walk with Poe to the far side of the room. “Am I in trouble or something?” he asks, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No, of course not,” I laugh. “I just, uh… did you hear about what happened with Rob Leavy?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, shit yeah. He got fired, some sex scandal I heard. Couldn’t believe it, then again, news travels fast around this place, true or untrue.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, it is true. And I just… I thought you should know…” His normally amused expression grows worried._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Rey, is everything alright?” _Oh, just spit it out!_

____________“Rob was fired because he attacked me last night.” Poe stares at me, his face unchanging as if he were still waiting for me to answer his question._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What are you telling me, Rey?” I take a deep breath. His eyes go dark. Anger isn’t a usual emotion when it comes to Poe, but it’s all the radiates off him now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I was working late last night and he came into the storage room-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll kill him.” I grab onto him before he can walk off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Poe, wait,” I struggle, trying to pull him back. “I’m ok, everything’s ok,” I talk quickly, trying to calm him down. He looks down at me, the murderous glare starting to leave his eyes. “Everything’s been taken care of, he’s fired.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, what the hell Rey, did you tell anyone?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I didn’t have to. I told you it’s taken care of. I just wanted to let you know because I told Finn this morning, and I was really freaking out, but everything’s fine now.” Poe looks thoughtfully down at the ground._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Is that why Finn was acting so weird this morning?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Probably.” He sighs, running his hands through his hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, shit Rey, why the hell didn’t you call us?!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“If I really needed you, I would have called, but I told you, I was fine. I totally kicked his ass anyway.” Poe puts his hands on his hips, his eyes wandering the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You’re ok, really?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yes!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I mean, is this something you need to talk about? It’s pretty messed up stuff, Rey.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I know it is, and I promise, if I ever need to talk about anything, you and Finn will be the first ones I go to.” It takes a moment for him to look convinced, but he eventually calms down and pulls me in for a hug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Jeez, Rey, I’m sorry. How the hell did you get him fired so fast?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I had some help.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“From who?” he asks as we pull apart. I shrug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Who else? Kylo Ren.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You’re shitting me!” I shake my head, and to my surprise, Poe grins. “Mr. Knight in Shining Armor comes through again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah,” I nod. “You could say that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You know, for someone who hates you, he sure seems to be in the right place at the right time to help you out when you need it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“He doesn’t hate me. And besides, we’ve called a truce.” Poe laughs, probably thinking I’m joking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“A _truce? _You’re serious?” I nod earnestly.__

______________“Of course I’m serious!” I laugh when he doesn’t stop laughing. “Why, do you have a problem?” I ask, trying to stop myself from giggling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“No, no,” he says, putting his hands up defensively. “I think this will be good for you two.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“How so?” I ask, looking at him oddly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I don’t know,” he shrugs. “It might be nice for you two to pass each other in the hall and not spit fire at each other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh, I’m not sure,” I say teasingly. “Like you said before, that was pretty entertaining.” We both laugh and embrace again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	13. Chapter 13

Rey P.O.V

“Ran into Hux on my way in today,” Poe says, grabbing a bagel out of the bag we bought for lunch. “He looked _pissed! _I decided not to get into it with him ‘cause I thought he might implode.”__

__“I wonder if everyone else in military messes with him the way you do,” I say, plopping down on the couch with my blueberry bagel._ _

__“I know Kylo does,” Finn answers, turning around on the stool at the kitchen bar to face us. “They despise each other. Sometimes I think one of them’s gonna end up dead and the cops will find out it’s an inside job, and they won’t know who did it, but we will.”_ _

__“Damn Finn, that’s some theory,” Poe says, staring at him oddly._ _

__“No, I agree, they’re definitely the type to assassinate each other,” I concur. “Though, Hux seems more of the type who would assassinate someone in the office with poison. Kylo seems more of a, beat-the-shit-out-of-them-when-they’re-walking-down-the-street type.”_ _

__“Well, why don’t you ask him now that you two are chilled out?” Poe asks. I roll my eyes._ _

__“You really aren’t going to let that go, are you?” I ask, despairingly._ _

__“Nope,” Poe answers grinning._ _

__“I just don’t get it,” Finn says, shaking his head. “How do you two go from hating each other to the point of not being able to help yourselves from arguing every time you meet, to all of the sudden being cool with each other? What, did the heartless wonder finally grow some alternate emotions to doom and gloom?”_ _

__“Very funny,” I say as Poe laughs his ass off. “Look, he’s just a guy. He may seem like he… literally hates everyone, but he’s got it where it counts.”_ _

__“That’s true,” Poe says, nodding. “If it weren’t for him, you’d probably still be out on the side of the road right now trying to fix your car.” He and Finn laugh and I playfully shove Poe._ _

__“I’m glad you two have so much faith in my common sense,” I groan._ _

__“Speaking of which,” Finn says, suddenly serious, “did you guys hear another girl went missing the other day?”_ _

__“Oh yeah, Jessika was telling me,” Poe says, his eyes widening as he sits up straighter. “That’s the third one in the past two months. Someone’s snatching a bunch of runaways off the streets.”_ _

__“Where is this happening?” I ask with concern._ _

__“Not too far from here,” Finn answers, “just outside the city border, near D’Qar.”_ _

__“Shit, that is close,” I admit_ _

__“Yeah, too close for comfort,” Poe agrees. “Police don’t know what to think, the girls look nothing like each other, all different ages, I think the first one was sixteen and the other two were twenty, twenty five. The only thing they have in common is that they barely have anyone to speak for them. Real fucked up lives, you know?”_ _

__“That’s terrifying,” I say, looking horrified._ _

__“You really haven’t heard about this?” Finn asks. I shake my head, leaning back against the couch._ _

__“I guess I haven’t had much time to catch up on my current events,” I confess._ _

__“Well, you’re lucky your boys watch the news every evening while we cook dinner,” Finn says. “That is, I cook dinner and Poe stumbles about the kitchen trying to mess everything up.”_ _

__“Hey!” Poe shouts in protest._ _

__“Nope, it’s true, I’ve seen it,” I laugh._ _

__“You two are relentless,” Poe says, pushing himself up off the couch and walking over into the kitchen._ _

“Hey, don’t mess up _my _kitchen now!” I call out.__

______“No no, screw you both,” Poe shouts back to us, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. Finn and I continue to laugh. “Anyway, you two comedians want to live it up this weekend, or what? It’s hump day, we gotta start planning our weekly festivity. And we get Monday off for some kind of company holiday, so we got some extra time.”_ _ _ _ _ _

____“Well, you obviously have something in mind,” I say, taking a bite out of my bagel._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, please,” Finn says, gesturing with his hand, “enlighten us. What grand idea do you have for us this weekend?”_ _ _ _

____“Well, I was thinking,” Poe starts right away, “we could go down to the Club 360. Last time we went there was for Finn’s twenty first birthday.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh yeah, that was fun!” I remember._ _ _ _

____“You wanna go down there this Saturday?” Finn asks._ _ _ _

____“Hell yeah! A bunch of people from the entire office are heading down there this weekend, it’ll be crazy. Besides, it’s been a long couple of weeks, we need to dance and drink our troubles away for a night. That club has bitchin’ music too.”_ _ _ _

____“You think any music is bitchin,” Finn points out._ _ _ _

____“Ok, that is true,” Poe acknowledges, “but can you guys seriously tell me you didn’t dig any of the music they were playing down there last time?”_ _ _ _

____“Oh yes, it’s already decided,” I announce. “We are going down there.”_ _ _ _

____“Can they really fit everyone from First Order in that club?” Finn questions._ _ _ _

“Well not _everyone’s _going, Finn,” Poe admits. “But tons of them are. I don’t know why, but I’m down.”__

________“Me too,” I say excitedly. Finn smiles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“We are going to tear shit up down there,” he says as he and Poe high five._ _ _ _ _ _

______* * *_ _ _ _ _ _

______Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ren, how many times do I have to tell you not to call troops back without my permission?” Hux calls after me as I walk down the hall to the control room. I ignore him and go up to the receptionist._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Get the Generals from precincts eight and twelve on communication,” I tell her. She nods and reaches over the panel to start the comm._ _ _ _ _ _

“ _Ren! _”__

__________“Hux, if you have a problem, I suggest you go take it up with Snoke.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, and allow you to continue throwing a wrench into our entire plan? I should think not, you know, you do not have the sole authority to bring soldiers back in without my consent!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know you think everyone here values your opinion Hux, but I do not. If you have a problem, go talk to Snoke. I’ll be here bringing our forces back rather than have them sitting out there on borders we have completely sealed.” I stand in front of the communications board as the lines for eight and twelve pop up. “Precincts eight and twelve, do you read? This is FO 3.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Read you, sir,” the General from eight answers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Loud and clear,” twelve calls out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Send your last border reports in,” I command. “Your codes are being sent now and you’ll have full clearance to head out by tomorrow.” It’s silent on the other end for a moment before joyous laughter is heard in the far background._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thank you, sir,” eight answers back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We’re really going’ home?” another soldier from twelve asks over the comm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That's correct, soldier,” I respond. “Tomorrow morning.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thank you so much, sir. Ten four.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Over and out!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Ten four,” I reply. The connection cuts, and Hux looks like he would like nothing more than to strangle every last breath out of me. “Phasma, do we have the clearance papers?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Right here,” she answers, handing them to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Thanks.” I take them from her and she raises her eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And if it makes any difference to you, I think you are making a wise decision,” she adds,  
making sure Hux hears. I nod at her appreciatively. Phasma is one of the only officers in this department I can honestly say I respect. She’s not afraid to say exactly what she thinks and she’s one of the cleverest employees we have. She’s even put me in _my _place a few times.__

____________“Thank you for your opinion, Phasma,” I say loudly enough to get under Hux’s skin even more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Are you going to the club Saturday night?” Phasma asks, getting back to typing more location codes into the computer. “You look like you could use a good night out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah, well we’ll see,” I answer uncertainty. I step around a very fuming Hux to head for the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You know, if you keep this up, Snoke isn’t going to allow you to have this authority for much longer,” Hux warns, following me out into the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“According to you, I don’t even have that power now,” I reply._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, sass me all you want, Ren. You really think Snoke is going to have an immature _boy _in charge of this department for much longer?”__

______________“I wouldn’t talk about immaturity when you’re the one following me around like a lost little boy.” That thankfully makes him stop in his tracks, scoffing before turning and heading back towards the office._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I walk into the breakroom, briefly wishing alcohol was made available during the lunch hours. There are two other people from my department sitting at the couch working. I turn to look towards someone sitting at one of the tables by the window._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I don’t know why my stomach jumps into my throat everytime I see her. I’ve never been remotely nervous around anyone before in my life. But lately, with her, it’s like I choke on my words anytime I try to say something to her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Her back is to me and she has her head resting on her hand propped up on the table. Her fingers mindlessly brush through her hair as she works on whatever’s in front of her. I move closer toward her, a picture of me running my fingers over her hair suddenly popping into my mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I walk over and grab a water from the fridge, then walk over to the table she’s at. I sit down across from her, acting as if she wasn’t there. I see her look up and stare at me, probably with uncertainty. I pretend to be working for a little while before slowly looking up to meet her gaze. If she’s waiting for me to ask her if it’s ok that I sit with her, she’s going to be disappointed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I grin at her, and she smiles back as if she can read my thoughts. She shakes her head, looking back down at her work. I look at her for a few more seconds before continuing with mine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	14. Chapter 14

Rey P.O.V.

Club 360 is only about twenty minutes away from the inner city. It’s by far the biggest club in Coruscant, but still has a certain charm to it rather than feeling like an enormous, corporate owned business. It is however, the loudest and most lit up building in the city, which is certainly saying something. You can hear the bass pumping through the walls and see the ghost of blinking neon lights even when you’re a couple blocks away. 

Finn, Poe, and I all walk down the sidewalk through the usual hustle of people, me trying to walk normally in strappy high heels and tight fitting dress, clutching my arms over my chest because I didn’t think to bring a coat. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to take mine, Rey?” Finn asks for the millionth time.

“I told you, I’m fine, we’re almost there anyway.”

“Why the hell would you not bring a coat?” Poe asks, walking ahead of us. 

“Because I was so damn hot in there last time!” I answer back over the loudening crowd as we approach the entrance. 

“You can take it off,” Finn says, grinning.

“I realize that now Finn, I just wasn’t thinking,” I say, irritated. We walk up to the line of people moving fairly quickly through the entrance. We already see a few people from work, but everything’s too chaotic for us to chat for long. 

We’re inside the club in no time, heading through a nearly pitch black hallway that leads to the dance floor. The music is pretty much the only thing anyone can hear now, and for some reason, that always gets my adrenaline pumping. Poe practically sprints down the hall like a little boy and I try to keep up with him, hopping along in my heels while Finn follows behind me, probably afraid I’m going to fall right onto him. 

We finally get out into the open, yet crowded main room of the club, the music roaring deafeningly through the gigantic speakers lining the walls. Blue and purple lights flash in a sporadic rhythm and hundreds of jumping silhouettes cover the bright white lights of the dance floor. I look up to see even more people on the upper level, looking down at the floor, drinks in hand, laughing or dancing. I probably look like a kid in a candy store, staring wide eyed in wonder at the whole scene. 

“Let’s roll!” Poe shouts over the music, grabbing my hand and pulling me out into the open. I snag ahold of Finn’s hand and yank him along as Poe leads us right into the middle of the floor. 

It’s a disoriented mess going in. I wouldn’t have been confident enough to do it myself, but Poe’s never one to shy away from pushing his way through a crowd. I slam into at least twenty people who probably couldn’t give less of a shit at the moment. We pass Mark and Kelly on our way through, and I look back at Finn to see his jaw drop, staring at them in amazement as we’re both yanked along until we reach the middle. Once we’re there, it’s like we’d entered the eye of the hurricane. Poe releases my hand and turns to face us as Finn steps forward, twirling me around as he does.

“This was definitely the best idea you’ve ever had!” Finn shouts at Poe.

“You can say that again!” I agree, as we all dance, or more so jump, along to the music.

“Hell yeah, I know what’s _up! _” Poe prides himself.__

__The music suddenly switches to a different song, and the three of us all stop and stare at each other excitedly with the same gaping expression as soon as we hear the familiar opening base._ _

“ _I fucking love this fucking song! _” Poe screams to the heavens as I jump like an excited little kid. It is a really good song. The three of us immediately start singing along to each lyric, spinning, jumping, and dancing around like we’re all sixteen years old. Poe grabs my hands and swings me around, even grabbing my waist and lifting me off my feet at one point. I laugh giddily singing and dancing, probably looking like an idiot, while Poe pulls Finn close to him and they start grinding the hell out of each other. Soon, other people who I don’t even know are dancing with us, and we laugh and dance along with them as if we’ve known them for years. I even get a few cute guys coming up to me. I think it’s safe to say, I haven’t felt this exhilarated in a while.__

______ _ _ _ _

____Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _

____I sit on one of the maroon couches off to the sides of the room, leaning my elbows on my knees and occasionally drinking from the Jack & Ginger filled glass I ordered as soon as I got here. This club isn’t too bad. I’ve certainly been to classier places than this, but I guess there’s something to be said about not giving a shit and just drinking and dancing to music so loud you can barely think while an epileptic light show plays out around you. If you’re into that sort of thing. _ _ _ _

____Obviously I haven’t bothered trying to make conversation with anyone. I don’t even know why I’m here. The fact that pretty much everyone from the office is here tonight should have been a repulsing factor that made my mind up for me. But maybe something Phasma said about needing a night out struck some inner nerve with me._ _ _ _

I take another sip from the glass, looking out at the hundreds of people crushing themselves together on the dance floor, and smirk to myself. I can’t ever think of a time that looked inviting to me. _I wonder if Hux decided to show up? _Now wouldn’t that be a scene? I amusedly think of how priceless it would look if Hux were trying to dance to the fast beat of the club music. He’d probably still have that pinched up little scowl on his face. Now that’s an entertaining thought. If I could see that, I’d be happy to stay here all night.__

________I grip my fingers around my glass, glancing at the various people sitting around me, talking, laughing, and drinking. There’s a nice looking blonde with her ass hanging half out of her shorts leaning up against the wall batting her eyes at me. Maybe a few years ago I would have followed her into the back room and fucked her, but those quick acts of senseless intimacy lost my interest long ago._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______My eyes blankly wonder across the wave of faceless people as I think of what might be a good time to leave. I’m only twenty nine and I feel too old for this shit. Like some creepy parent chaperone hanging around a college party. I focus my gaze towards the center of the floor when I catch a flash of a smile that looks all to familiar._ _ _ _ _ _

My entire body freezes as I stare dead ahead at three suddenly very crystal clear people dancing manically about twenty feet away from me. Of course they would be here. Force, why didn’t I even _think _of that?__

__________She jumps and dances around with the two of them, looking like she’s just having the time of her life. She’s wearing a very nice black and white lace dress that hugs tightly to her body, stopping a few inches above her knees. Her hair has been curled slightly and hangs loosely around her head as she prances around giddily. I can practically hear her laughing in my head. She even sings along with the words of the song playing while she spins around with her two other friends. It takes me a moment to realize a small smile has started to play on my lips as I keep my eyes on her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Other people start dancing with them. Rey dances around with a few girls, smiling and singing with them as if they were all best friends. I continue to watch her, feeling a strange heat start to spread through me as she moves her body to the hard beat of the song. She’s actually not too bad._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________A couple of guys come up to her. The beat of the song slows down for a bit, and one guy grabs her hand and twirls her around, then the other presses up against her while she dances against him, laughing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Before I even realize I’m moving, I’m standing straight up, my drink on the table. I stare straight ahead at Rey, as yet another guy comes up to her to take her in his arms. My feet start moving towards the floor, my eyes not leaving her. Every single nerve in me has a sudden urge to go to her and be the one making her laugh and buzz with excitement. Swing her around and press up against her body, dancing while the music roars overhead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I stalk closer to the floor, a strange excitement rushing through me as I get closer to her. I step through the hoard of people, still not taking my eyes off her as I wait until there’s no one holding her. I feel adrenaline pulse through me as the need to have my hands on her increases._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The beat picks up again. I watch closely as her hand drops away from the guy she was dancing with. I don’t waste any time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I step forward, grabbing both her hands and snatch her away before anyone else has a chance. I swing her forward and out, some dance move I’d seen people do a lot, then spin her into my arms and hold her tight against me. She stares up at me, gaping in shock. I was probably the last person she expected to see tonight. That works all the more to my advantage._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I grin down at her, spinning her around again, then letting her take the lead. She does some crazy dance I eventually catch onto. I don’t let go of her hand in case some other asshole tries to swoop in again. Eventually, to my and her surprise, I’m laughing along with her. _What the hell? When was the last time I did _this?__

____________I pull her close to me again, putting a hand on her waist and holding her other hand up. She puts her other hand on my shoulder and I spin her around, making her laugh again. But she doesn’t close her eyes and look away bashfully like I saw her doing before. She looks straight at me, her eyes glittering in the flashing strobe lights. I stare right back at her, smiling more than I have in a while._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She smirks, taking both my hands and spinning us both around, which works in a rather funny way since I’m quite a bit taller than her. She suddenly puts her hands around my neck, pulling me in closer to her and begins dancing up against me. I put one arm around her, pulling her closer as we grind up against each other. Her smile disappears, replaced by something more intense. I feel that heat begin to spread over my body again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The song ends, I think, but I can barely hear anything anymore. All of my attention is locked onto her. She stays still for a second while a new song begins to play. But then she suddenly grins, turning slightly and beginning to step away. I grip onto her more firmly before she can go, pushing against her back and pulling her up against me again. She looks up at me in confusion, but I can feel her gasp lightly as I press her more tightly against me. I lean down towards her ear, some of her hair lightly brushing against the side of my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Do you want to get a drink?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I sit down at the far end of neon lit up bar while Kylo orders himself a vodka seven. I stare up at the wall of glistening bottles behind the bar, trying to read the names, until I see Kylo and the bartender looking at me expectantly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh… um, what he said,” I say unsurely. The bartender nods and goes to prepare the drinks. I’ve never really drank anything other than beer, which I’m not even a huge fan of, so I have no idea what’s good and what’s not._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kylo sits down next to me, leaning up against the bar as I stare at him in wonder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So, I didn’t expect to see you here,” I say to him. He turns to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, somebody told me I needed a night out,” he answers. “I guess they knew me better than I knew myself.” I grin, still in disbelief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No offense, but I never thought you were even capable of having fun.” He laughs as the bartender hands us our drinks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You and me both,” he agrees. I take a sip from clear liquid, bracing myself slightly. I’ve never tasted vodka before. So, you can imagine my surprise when I taste pretty much nothing through the thin black straw. I bring it down from my lips and stare at it oddly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Is this supposed to taste like anything?” I ask. Kylo looks over at me and laughs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Not really,” he replies. “Haven’t you had it before?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No, I don’t really drink,” I tell him. “The most I’ve had was a couple margaritas on my twenty first birthday.” He laughs again and I playfully shove his shoulder. “Ok, so I’m not well versed on my alcohol,” I admit, giggling. “But I bet I’ve probably been to more of these things than you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Nope” he shakes his head, “I’ve got you beat there too. Believe it or not, I used to go to places like this every night.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?! Is there some whole other side of you that I’m just completely in the dark about?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Pretty much,” he confesses._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, I think I like this side of you,” I say, taking another sip of the tasteless drink. “And where _did _you learn to dance like that?"__

______________“Like I said, I used to go to these kinds of places all the time.” I raise my eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, I see. You use those moves on all the ladies then?” I ask mischievously. He smiles lightly, then turns to look down at me. His eyes look softer and more attentive than I’ve ever seen them. The flashing club lights make them look like two glittering black diamonds. Something about him towering slightly over me with that pervasive gaze makes my breathing slow a bit. _How have I not noticed his eyes before?_

________________“No,” he answers quietly. Normally I would have immediately picked that out as a lie, but something about Kylo makes me feel like he’s not like other guys. Obviously, just looking at him I could tell that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh,” I answer back so quietly he probably doesn’t hear me. “Why did you stop? Did you just get tired of it or something?” He grins down at me and something about it sends chills through me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Maybe. Maybe I just needed to find some inspiration to have fun again for another night.” I suddenly feel something warm and exhilarating spread through me that I tell myself is from the alcohol. A few more moments pass before I realize I’m leaning in towards him slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I quickly straighten myself back up, taking another sip of vodka that is finally starting to have some flavor. I mindlessly run my hand over the smooth bar top, seeing out of the corner of my eyes that Kylo hasn’t turned away from me yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“So, you’re glad you came then?” I ask, still looking away from him. He doesn’t answer right away, but I swear I feel him move himself a little closer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I am,” he answers. I finally turn to look up at him again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well, it is nice to finally see you laugh and have a good time for once. It was getting so boring watching you mope around all the time.” He smiles down at me slightly, his penetrating gaze still boring into me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Was that your mission all along?” he asks in an even deeper tone, making me shiver a bit. “To get me to loosen up?” I stare back at him, trying not to get lost in the deep abyss of his stare. I grin teasingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Maybe it was.” He narrows his eyes, shaking his head. I smile, taking a bigger sip of vodka._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You know, I like it when we’re nice to each other,” I state, setting my glass down satisfyingly. He laughs, taking another drink from his._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“It’s not so bad,” he concedes. We both smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________After I’ve finished off my drink, I force myself to stand up from the bar._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I’d better go find Finn and Poe,” I say as he turns towards me, looking as if he was about to stand up too. “It was… really nice hanging out with you,” I say earnestly. “You can be quite a lot of fun when you want to be.” He looks like he’s about to say something, but then just nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Thanks. Same to you.” I grin down at him, not sure why my body is wanting me to walk right back over to him and stay._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“What are you gonna do?” I ask before I can stop myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Probably hang out for a little while longer until I feel I can drive myself back home without being pulled over,” he answers. I laugh and roll my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“See you around, Kylo Ren,” I call back to him before turning away. I start back towards the floor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“See you around, scavenger,” I hear him call towards me. I begrudgingly keep myself from turning back to look at him and start to make my way through the sea of dancing bodies. It isn’t hard to find the boys, since they manage to be the loudest, most hyper people in the entire club. What's hard is keeping my mind off Kylo Ren._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song I pictured playing in the club during the dance scene is Hands Up by Merk and Kremont.


	15. Chapter 15

Kylo P.O.V.

I swing my bag over my shoulder and head out the gym doors into the slightly chilled evening. It’s almost seven but the sun has only just begun to set. I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of summer weather. I prefer it to be dark by six. Something about it still being light out at eight just feels off to me.

I walk through the parking lot to the same spot I always park my car in when I come here. Usually it’s on Saturdays, but since the club thing was yesterday, I decided to just go today. 

I unlock the doors and throw my stuff in the back. I still haven’t decided what I’m going to do tomorrow. Usually when we have a day off, I spend it getting work done that I probably don’t need to do until later. But this weekend I feel like getting away from everything that has to do with work. I’ll probably just go to the movies or something. 

I shut the backseat door and walk around to the front, glancing up at the small plaza and stopping in my tracks. My hand stays still on the door handle as I stare at the car parked in front of the Habit where a small dark haired woman just strided out, waving toward the two men who got out as well before turning and walking through the door of the establishment while they go off across the street. _Is she just going to show up everywhere now? ___

__I’m walking toward the busy food joint before I even know what I’m doing, jogging lightly across the parking lot as if she might disappear if I don’t get there quick enough. I look through the glass door when I get there and see her standing in the long line. Her hair is pinned up in an intricate braid and she’s wearing a snug fitting blue t shirt that lifts just above her waist showing a bit of her bare skin, along with a pair of tight leather pants. I feel my chest tighten. I open the door and walk in, keeping my eyes on her._ _

__I’m greeted by the nearly overwhelming aroma of french fries and an assortment of other grease painted foods. I’ve never been a fast food guy. The stuff’s always tasted like soggy thrown together bits of ingredients to me. In fact, I don’t think I’ve even stepped into a fast food place in over ten years. But, I haven’t had a burger in a little while…. So I guess I could give it a go. Especially if Rey is standing in line right in front of me._ _

__I step up behind her, reaching out to put my hand on her shoulder. She turns around and nearly falls over when she sees me._ _

__“Kylo?! What are you doing here?” she asks, looking alarmed. I shrug._ _

__“I was hungry,” I answer, thinking quickly. “I was just at the gym across the street, and then I saw you.” I glance around unsurely. “Usually I don’t go for places like this, but I figured I’d give it a try.” She stares at me for a moment, then slowly smiles._ _

“You know Kylo Ren, you have a habit lately for showing up places I’d never expect you to be.” She looks thoughtful for a second then laughs. “Haha,” she chides, pointing up at the sign above the counter. “ _Habit _.” I chuckle, shaking my head as she giggles at her own pun.__

______“And you have a habit for being in a rapidly changing mood.” She nods, shrugging._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Well, I have to be when it comes to you.” She turns back around and I grin to myself. “So you go to the gym down here, huh?”_ _ _ _

____“Yep,” I nod._ _ _ _

____“Sundays?”_ _ _ _

____“No, usually on Saturday.”_ _ _ _

____“That’s cool. I go down there Sundays if I have the time.” I look at her, slightly taken aback._ _ _ _

____“You go there?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah. Weird we’ve never seen each other. Then again, I guess I’ve never really gone on any other day. But I like it over there.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, me too,” I agree. "It’s not the most excruciating, but I spend two, two and a half hours there and it’s a pretty good workout.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, definitely.” She laughs. “I’ve tried to bring Finn and Poe there a few times and they couldn’t last barely an hour. Looked like they had been hit by a truck.”_ _ _ _

____“Couldn’t hack it?” I ask, grinning smugly._ _ _ _

____“Nope.” I shake my head, rolling my eyes._ _ _ _

____“Of course. You should get a partner who can keep up with you.” She turns to look back at me, grinning._ _ _ _

____“Oh, I could run circles around you.” I gape at her, laughing in disbelief._ _ _ _

____“Is that so, little scavenger?” She nods confidently._ _ _ _

____“You ever done the sparring?”_ _ _ _

____“All the time.”_ _ _ _

____“Once I get going on that, I never stop. Finn and Poe have to drag me away after I’ve gone over twenty rounds.” I shake my head, staring at her with incredulity._ _ _ _

____“You continue to surprise me. Though I doubt you can last more than two with me.” She scoffs at me._ _ _ _

____“I doubt that, tough guy. I’ve only lost a handful of rounds, and I’ve also done hand to hand combat with every damn trainer at that gym, and even a few members who were twice my size.”_ _ _ _

____“Were those the ones you lost?” I inquire, grinning. She shoves my shoulder, but smiles. “Well, I can’t wait to prove you wrong.”_ _ _ _

____“You’ll be disappointed,” she promises as the line moves along. I smile, narrowing my eyes as my gaze drifts back down to her slightly exposed waist and I hungrily imagine having the smart mouthed scavenger girl pinned beneath me._ _ _ _

____“So what should I get here?” I ask her, prying my eyes away from her and glancing at the menu._ _ _ _

____“Um, well… Finn and I always get the double charburger, and Poe likes the triple. We always get chocolate or vanilla shakes. Sometimes Finn gets the chicken salad, he likes that. I guess it depends on what you’re in the mood for.” I stare uncertainly at the menu._ _ _ _

____“Well, I guess the double char should be good.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah?”_ _ _ _

____“Sure. Whatever’s good enough for you sounds good to me.” I pause, looking over at the buzzing machine where they’re preparing the milkshakes. “Except for those damn milkshakes.” She turns back to me, looking as if I just told her I’ve decided to stop breathing._ _ _ _

____“Are you kidding me?” she asks. I shake my head._ _ _ _

____“No, I hate ice cream.” Now she looks as if she might pass out._ _ _ _

“How in the _hell _could you hate ice cream? It’s literally the best dessert ever!” I shake my head in disgust.__

________“It tastes like sweet mucus.” She gapes at me, looking absolutely horrified._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Just when I thought you were becoming less doom and gloom.” She shakes her head. “Then you tell me you don't like ice cream. What _do _you like?”__

__________“Like… in general?” She laughs, closing her eyes and making a surprisingly attractive scrunched up face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No, I mean for dessert.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh. I… I don’t really like sweet stuff, so… not much.” She puts her hand to her face, gazing at me as if she’s never heard of anyone not liking dessert._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We are not done with this conversation,” she warns me before walking up to the counter. My eyes widen in amusement, watching her go up and order her three meals to go._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________When she’s done ordering, I step up and order next. I just get a double charburger with a water. I go over to where Rey is standing to wait for the food to be ready._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So, listen,” she starts as I approach her. “Finn, Poe, and I are gonna go back to my apartment just to hang out and eat. Do you wanna come over?” I gape at her, unsure if I hear her correctly or not._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What?” I choke out. I can’t even remember the last time I went over to someone’s house simply because I felt like it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Would you like to follow us over to my apartment and hang out?” she reiterates._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Uh… you want me to come over to your apartment… with you and your friends… and hang out?” She shrugs as if it were no big thing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, why not?” Her eyes grow warm and something about her light smile makes my breathing slow a bit. “I mean, I can’t just let you eat alone.” I continue to stare at her in wonder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Um… sure,” I answer slowly. “I guess.” I snicker at her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What?” she asks defensively, turning away slightly and grinning bashfully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We’ve certainly come a long way,” I point out. She raises her eyebrows and smirks before going off to grab her food. “Are you sure your friends are gonna be ok with this?” I call over to her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah,” she answers, grabbing the three bags of food off the counter. “Eventually.” I chuckle to myself. “You remember the way, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes,” I answer back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Alright. I guess I’ll see you in a bit.” She walks out the door, clutching the three bags in her hands. I watch her go, wanting nothing more than to slump onto the floor right about now. _What the hell am I doing?_

____________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You did _what?! _” Finn exclaims, looking as if he might explode. Poe laughs his ass off and doesn’t stop for a while.__

______________“It will be good for him,” I explain, taking a sip from my chocolate milkshake while Poe turns out of the shopping center. “I think I’m starting to get through to him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Why the fuck do you want to get through to Kylo Ren?” Finn demands, still turning to stare at me in stupefaction from the front seat. “Do you really want to dig into that mind? I’m telling you, it will take you to dark fucking places.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Hey,” I chastise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh, calm down, Finn,” Poe chides, still grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“What the hell are we supposed to do with him?” Finn questions, looking flabbergasted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“We’re just hanging out,” I insist. “Look, I know you two don’t know him that well, but he’s… he’s really ok.” Finn scoffs, looking at me as if I just told him rattlesnakes don’t bite. “He’s just a guy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Did he seriously agree to come over to your apartment, or are you just fucking with us?” Poe asks, legitimately serious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yes, stop asking me that,” I groan. He glances in the rearview mirror._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Is he behind us?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I don’t know!” I exclaim. “Look, you two better behave, I don’t want any fucking ego wars going on between all of you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Hey, you don’t have to worry about me, I swear,” Poe promises. “I want to see what you find so interesting about this guy.” I shake my head, my face growing hot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I’m not interested- fuck, nevermind. Finn?” Finn glances at Poe, looking unsure. I glare at him pointedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Look, I’m just concerned about how this all turned so suddenly,” Finn explains. “One minute we all can’t stand the guy and are always talking about what an asshole he is, and the next minute you’re inviting him over.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Sounds like someone’s jealous again,” Poe teases._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh, shut up, Poe,” Finn grumbles. I laugh despite myself. Finn sighs, then turns back to look at me. “Ok. I’ll keep my mouth shut for you. But I don’t like it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You don’t have to like it,” I scold. “But I am hosting this get together and you will follow my rules.” Poe snorts and Finn shakes his head, but slowly grins._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I walk up to the door to the lobby and stop, turning to face the parking lot. Finn and Poe glance back at me, halfway through the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You two go ahead, I’m gonna wait for him,” I tell them. They look unsure at first, but I nod to them encouragingly, and then slowly turn and walk into the lobby. I turn back to the parking lot, biting my lip with uncertainty. _Why did I invite him? _It just seemed like a nice thing to do at the time. But this is_ Kylo Ren _. Why in the world had he said yes? Sometimes I start to forget he’s the same guy who’s gotten on my nerves for the past twelve months.__

__________________The familiar black lamborghini pulls into the parking lot and I stand straighter, as if sensing I’m being watched closely. He parks in one of the guest spots and steps out, looking up at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Find your way ok?” I ask, grinning teasingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I did,” he answers, walking up to me. “Nice of you to wait up.” I laugh, turning to open the door and walk into the lobby. We go into the elevator and I press the button to my floor. “So, what did your friends have to say?” he asks, as if he already knew._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“They’ll behave if you do,” I warn him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Which is the one who’s always glaring at me?” he asks, sounding amused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Look, I mean it. You all better get a grip on yourselves. You’ll get me kicked out of my place if you start fighting.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Rey, do you really think it’s my goal to get into brawls with everyone I meet?” We arrive on my floor and we step out into the quiet hallway. “Why are you doing this anyway?” I keep my eyes straight ahead, asking myself the same question._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I don’t know… maybe it’s like you said before.” I turn to him and smile mysteriously. “Perhaps it’s my mission to get you to loosen up.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh, I see,” he mocks. “And you’re just not gonna give up, are you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Nope,” I shake my head as we arrive at my door. I take out my key and unlock the door, walking in with Kylo following behind me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Finn and Poe are sitting at the counter, already eating. They glance up as we enter, Poe looking somewhat eager, while Finn looks skeptical._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I walk over to the counter and place my food on the countertop. “Kylo, this is Finn and Poe,” I gester to the both of them. “Guys, this is Kylo.” I wait anxiously, completely oblivious to whatever’s about to happen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Poe walks over from the counter and offers his hand to Kylo._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Nice to finally meet you, officially,” he says. Even Kylo looks a bit surprised, but he takes Poe’s hand and shakes it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You too,” Kylo answers, sounding unsure. Finn stands next and offers his hand, though looking a bit more untrusting. Kylo takes his hand next, and I swear I see the ghost of a smirk. “Nice to meet you, Finn,” he greets. Finn nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Good to meet you, Kylo,” he addresses back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So, listen,” Poe suddenly starts, grabbing his food and walking across the room over to the dining table. I follow behind him. “Kylo, I don’t know how you feel, but I think things have been tense between all of us lately.” He sits down at the table and I sit across from him. Kylo sits next to me and Finn takes his seat beside Poe. “But, it seems you and Rey have been getting along lately, so, I am willing to put the past in the past and leave all the work drama at the office.” I look at Kylo, curious to how he will respond. He looks thoughtful for a moment, then slowly nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I agree,” he replies. I breath a silent sigh of relief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, that sounds great to me,” I say graciously, digging into my food._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So, are we going to the beach tomorrow?” Poe asks as we all indulge in our extremely unhealthy fast food._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No, it’s gonna be way too crowded out there,” Finn reminds him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That’s true,” I nod. “Maybe we should just stay in. Go out to dinner later on or something.” I look over at Kylo. “What are you doing tomorrow?” He looks at me in confusion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Tomorrow?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yes, tomorrow! We have the day off, remember?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh, right.” He thinks for a moment, but shakes his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t really think about it to be honest.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“We should have an insane movie marathon,” Poe suggests, somehow taking a bite of his huge triple charburger._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Of what?” Finn asks. He shrugs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I don’t know. Elm Street?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Now that sounds perfect,” I agree. I turn to Kylo. “Have you seen any of those?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Are you kidding?” he answers, sounding as if I asked him if he’d ever breathed air. “Every single one. Multiple times.” We all look at him in surprise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re a Freddy fan?” Poe asks. Kylo nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Sure. Saw the first one when I was six.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ _Six? _” I gasp. “Did it scare the shit out of you?”__

____________________“No,” he answers, looking down at me. “I begged for my mom to let me watch it again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Oh, yeah right!” I laugh. “I bet it gave you nightmares. You can’t fool me, Mr. Tough Guy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“And then my dad made me watch the remake the next night,” he counters, still staring at me smugly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What’s your favorite one?” Poe asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Obviously the first one was always the best,” Kylo answers, correctly. Poe nods, impressed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Least favorite?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Freddy’s Dead was pretty bad,” he answers. “But I still watch it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Ugh, tell me about it,” Poe agrees. “I guess we’re all suckers though. However, I have to say, I think The Dream Child is worse.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“At least The Dream Child had somewhat of a storyline,” Kylo challenges. “As opposed to none at all. And, Freddy isn’t a _complete _parody of himself.”__

______________________“That’s true,” I concur. “He is still somewhat intimidating in that one. Freddy’s Dead was literally a spoof on the entire franchise.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah, and you still laugh your ass off at that bus scene,” Finn prompts. Poe laughs loudly, and even Kylo chuckles a bit as I cover my face with my hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Ok, sue me if I think something is funny!” I cry out over Poe’s laughing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I bet you laughed at his fucking intro, too,” Kylo accuses. “When he’s on a freaking broomstick quoting the Wizard of Oz.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“She did the first time we watched it,” Finn answers, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I was thirteen!” I defend myself as now both Finn and Poe laugh uncontrollably. “Look, for the record, I think The Dream Child is worse.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Ah ha!” Poe shouts, pointing. “See, she agrees! Face it Kylo, The Dream Child can’t beat Freddy’s Dead. Freddy’s Dead is fucking comedic gold.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, apparently so,” Kylo admits, looking at me. I groan and lean my head back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Ok, laugh it up everyone,” I allow. I sit up and look at Finn. “Finn what do you think is the worst?” Finn narrows his eyes, looking doubtful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well… The Dream Child is pretty terrible,” he concedes. He shakes his head. “But shit, I have to say, Freddy’s Dead is ever so slightly worse.” I widen my eyes in surprise, and Poe chortles loudly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, look at that,” he announces, looking between Kylo and Finn. “There’s one thing you two can agree on.” To my surprise, Finn smiles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Ok, ok,” I start, taking a sip of my milkshake. “We are going around the table, everyone name off the movies, least favorite to favorite.” Poe nods, rubbing his hands together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Got it,” Finn nods. I turn to Kylo._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You start,” I tell him. He tries to penetrate me with those sharp eyes of his again, but I shake him off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Ready when you are,” he goads, his tone slightly lower. I grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Go!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________We spend most of the rest of dinner talking about the Elm Street series, which eventually leads to us talking about Friday the 13th once we mention Freddy vs Jason. It turns out, Kylo is about a big a horror fan as we are. We even try to test him on how well he knows his shit, and I hate to admit it, but he might know more than I do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The night went about a million times better than I expected. For the hour and a half we spent together, we managed to forgot any and everything we ever thought about each other and just act… normal. Well, as normal as normal gets for Finn, Poe, and I. But in a strange way, Kylo seemed to fit right in with us for that short amount of time. It didn’t feel awkward or tense at all. And if you told me a few weeks ago that us hanging out with Kylo Ren would turn out to be a fun time, I would have slowly walked away from you, thinking you’d completely lost it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________It’s almost seven by the time Finn and Poe decide to head out. I stand from where I had been sitting next to Kylo on the couch and Finn and Poe get up from their spots on the floor. I hug them both goodbye and even Finn managed to civilly greet Kylo goodbye. I follow them to the door, and Finn turns to me, looking over my shoulder to make sure Kylo can’t hear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“How long is he staying?” he asks me quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I don’t know,” I answer, rolling my eyes and smiling. “Don’t worry about me, Finn. It looks like it’s your man you need to worry about.” I nod pointedly behind him where Poe looks like he’s about to explode._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Come on, let’s go!” Poe pegs, pulling at Finn’s hand. “I needed you in my bed yesterday, Finn.” I giggle and Finn’s face lights up slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You two have fun,” I wave them off as Poe pulls Finn down the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“See you tomorrow, Rey!” Poe calls out down the hall, his eyes set straight ahead of him. I shake my head, laughing, then close the door, turning back to Kylo who’s standing behind me, closer than I thought he had been._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Do I have to go too?” he asks, as if daring me to answer. I feel my stomach do a couple flips as if I were on some upside down roller coaster, but I just grin slyly at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Don’t you want to get home?” I question him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No,” he answers quickly, grinning back at me. My breath catches in my throat, but I quickly brush it off, stepping around him and trying to avoid his gaze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, I’m afraid there’s not much to do around here,” I admit, beginning to put everything away in the kitchen. “Basically just me sitting around watching tv until I go to bed.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That sounds fine to me.” I stop what I’m doing and look up at him, wanting to immediately chew him out for continuing to pester me, but also feeling a strange longing for him to stay. _What the hell is he doing to me? _“Finn doesn’t want me to stay, does he?” I can tell he already knows the answer to that. “He doesn’t trust me, or he just doesn’t like me?”__

________________________“He doesn’t know you,” I answer. “And I don’t really know you that well either.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“We’ve known each other for over a year.” I’m about to say something back to him, but I stop and shake my head quickly. _This is ridiculous._

__________________________“Ok, you know what, I have to get ready for bed,” I say, stepping around the counter and walking back to the door. I open it and look at him pointedly. “Thank you for coming over.” He laughs, not moving from where he’s standing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“When will I get to see you again?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“What do you mean when will you get to see me again?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Well,” he begins, stepping forward. “You were the one so adamant about us being friends. Now we are. And I want to know when I will get to see you again.” I stare at him, feeling a strange heat begin to burn through me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I’m sure you’re aware that we are having a certain movie marathon tomorrow,” I allow, not changing my accusing gaze. “If you’d care to join us, I would be delighted.” He laughs lightly and I can’t help myself from smirking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“What time would you like me here?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“We’ll be starting at eight pm sharp,” I answer back confidently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“That’s quite early. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He walks closer to me and my body tenses as he doesn’t stop, even when he’s inches from me. He stares down at me, as if studying my reaction when he’s only a few centimeters away from me. I stare confidently back into his sharp stare, even though my knees feel like buckling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________He laughs after a moment, stepping around me and out the door into the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“See you bright and early tomorrow, scavenger.” My racing mind tries to think of some snarky comment to throw back at him, but my voice stops in my throat. I reach over and slam the door shut, now angry more at myself than at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Well, Kylo didn’t lie. He showed up at eight pm on the dot, looking like he hadn’t missed a wink of sleep. Finn and Poe were only a few seconds behind him. Somehow, Finn was able to drag Poe out of bed before nine thirty. I’m not sure how they felt about me inviting Kylo over again, but they seemed alright. We watched all nine movies, stopping only to order a pizza for lunch and Chinese food for dinner. We joked around and laughed the entire time, even Kylo joined in on some of our amazing movie commentary._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________We all sat on the floor. Poe kept changing his spot, as always, Finn sat on my left side and Kylo on my right side. To my great amusement, I noticed he kept glancing over at me during all the gory kill scenes in the first few movies, probably curious to see my reaction. If he was expecting me to squeal in fright or turn my head away, he was sorely mistaken. I live for that shit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________It was almost nine by the time we had finished all the movies, ending on a rather strong note with the remake. We’ve always been fans of the remake, even if it’s not the popular opinion. I was happy to learn Kylo liked it too._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________After we all cleaned up the leftover pizza boxes, Chinese food containers, and popcorn bags, everyone shuffled out, since it was a work day the next morning. Luckily I was able to get Kylo out before he could insist on staying, or before I could agree that he stay longer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________The next day in class, I learned we’re starting to practice our essays. I think Mr. Evans could tell that sort of freaked me out, because after class he restated his offer about giving me some extra help. So, he gave me his address and I agreed that I’d stop by his house Wednesday evening after work to get some help. Thank goodness because I don’t know what the hell I’m doing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“So, just so you’re aware,” I tell Finn as we grab our coffee Wednesday morning, “I am going to be at my professor’s house tonight.” Finn nearly drops his cup._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ _What?! _”__

____________________________“Calm down,” I plead. “It’s just for some extra study help.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Uh huh,” Finn says, grinning. “You’re just going to your hot college professor’s house after hours to… _study. _”__

______________________________“What?” a voice from behind us asks suddenly. I whip around to see Kylo standing behind us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“I didn’t hear you come in,” I say, grabbing my ready cup of coffee from the coffee maker. Finn and I walk over to the table by the window. “Now, I’m just telling you this because I need someone to know where I am.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And what will you two be _studying? _” Finn asks.__

________________________________“Finn, you sound like your thirteen years old,” I groan. “I am literally just going over to get help writing an essay. Nothing even remotely sexual.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“You’re the one who’s always going on about how extremely hot he is.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I told you one time that he was somewhat handsome,” I insist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Does he like you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Sure, I guess.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Come on, you know what I mean, Rey.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, I am his _student _.” He shakes his head. “Finn, come on!”__

__________________________________“I’m just fucking with you, Rey,” he says, giggling. I shake my head, glaring at him as he laughs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, Finn.” He’s about to say something, but Brandi suddenly bursts into the break room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Finn, need you urgently,” she says, sounding out of breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Is everything ok?” I ask, worried._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Fine, fine,” she continues. “Finn, we need your help with the GuideLife companies. They’re calling us like crazy, you’re the one who talked to them yesterday, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Yeah,” Finn answers, standing up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Well, they’re asking about the budget restrictions for the supplies, and no one knows but you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“I’m on it,” he answers, running over and following her out into the hallway. “We’ll talk later, Rey!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Uh huh,” I answer, staring off at them with uncertainty. Kylo turns to face me as I take a sip from my coffee and look out at the city._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“You’re going over to your teacher’s house?” Kylo asks. I turn back to him to see him standing and staring at me apprehensively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Yeah,” I answer. “It’s been a few years since I’ve had to write an essay, and I don’t exactly think I’m up to college level.” I go back to drinking my coffee while Kylo looks flabbergasted. I raise my eyebrows, seeing he’s obviously trying to find the right way to ask whatever he wants to ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well… you think he’s _hot? _” he asks, looking confused. I nearly spit out my coffee laughing.__

____________________________________“Oh Kylo, you eavesdropping little shit!” I laugh, trying not to fall off the chair. “Look, I already have Finn and Poe teasing me about this, and I don’t need a third one, thank you very much.” He frowns, looking doubtful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“That’s not what I mean. I just… you should be careful, Rey.” I give him a puzzled stare. But he just walks over to the counter and grabs one of the cups. “So, when are we having another movie marathon?” he asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Oh, I’ll let you know,” I say, smiling. “I can honestly say we’re all impressed with your wide knowledge of good cinema.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“And I have to admit, I didn’t peg you for the horror movie type,” he says, turning towards me and leaning against the counter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I’ve been watching horror movies since I was twelve,” I tell him. “There literally isn’t anything that I’ve ever had a problem watching.” He nods, raising his eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I was impressed. All the girls I ever hung out with couldn’t even make it through Psycho without turning away.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Ugh,” I groan, shaking my head in dismay. “What a bunch of sissies. I’ve made it through all three Hostels and all seven Saws without so much as flinching.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“There are eight Saws,” Kylo reminds me, looking smug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I realize that. I never watched the eighth one because the last good one was Saw III. I didn’t really see the point in seeing the new one, it’s just the same as the other crappy ones.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Hm, good point,” he admits. “But come on. Saw: The Final Chapter is pretty fucking great.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Ok,” I laugh, “that maybe so. But the first three had a great storyline. The seventh one was just a gorno.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Yeah, a cheesy hilarious gorno with some of the best traps,” he counters._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I guess,” I admit. “But you have to admit, four through six were awful.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Yeah, those were pretty fucking boring. Well, Saw XI has some pretty iconic moments. Don’t tell me you think about the Saw series without thinking of the carousel trap.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“That’s a good point,” I allow. “But, come on, the Hoffman storyline? And, how ridiculous is it that Jigsaw somehow set up all this crap for after his death and somehow managed to have _three _accomplices the whole time? It gets so unbelievable, and for a franchise that’s supposed to be smart? Give me a break.” He laughs, staring at me with incredulity.__

______________________________________“Well, I’ll give you this kid. I’ve never met anyone like you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Like me?” I question. “How so, may I ask?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Someone who’s somehow my polar opposite, yet couldn’t be more like me.” I stare at him thoughtfully, grinning warmly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“You know… I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Ren.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	16. Chapter 16

Rey P.O.V.

Mr. Evans’ house was a significantly sized modernized home, way out past the east side of the city on the outskirts of Alderaan. It was quite secluded, away from the bustling city of Coruscant or the quiet towns of Alderaan. He practically had an entire street to himself.

It’s about eight pm when I arrive. I gaze up at the large house as I pull up along the sidewalk, my eyes wide in amazement. It really is a gorgeous house. 

I step out of the car and walk up the walkway that leads up to the front door. I ring the bell, still looking around me in awe. I certainly didn’t expect this. 

He opens the door and grins warmly. I’m surprised to see him looking somewhat casual. He’s wearing the same clothes he normally wears when he’s teaching, but no tie, his shirt unbuttoned slightly, and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. 

“You made it,” he greets, stepping aside so I can enter. 

“Yeah,” I say slowly, staring around at the gigantic room I just walked into. The kitchen is on the left side, a huge white and silver painted display that looks straight out of a magazine. The living room is on the opposite side of the open walled hallway, a luscious, yet comfy looking are with a huge grey couch and an electric fireplace. I turn to face him as he closes the door. “You live here alone?” I ask.

“Yeah, if you can believe it,” he answers. “Luckily I spend most of my time at the University, so I don’t spend too much time wallowing in loneliness.”

“Why would you ever want to be away from _this? _” I ask in disbelief, staring wide eyed at the ceiling that seems miles away. “Seriously, this is amazing,” I admire as he laughs.__

__“Well, I only just moved here a few months ago. It’s definitely… the fanciest place I’ve ever been in.”_ _

__“Did you move from out of town?” I ask._ _

__“Actually, yes. I used to live out by Kamino.”_ _

__“Wow. Well, this must have been quite a switch.”_ _

__“You could say that. I still can’t get used to not having to have an umbrella on hand whenever I walk out the door.” I laugh in agreement. I’d never been there, but I knew all too well the never ending rainstorm that hovers over Kamino. They have a flood every week._ _

__“Well, we should probably get started, I have to get home soon.”_ _

__“Of course!” he replies, stepping around me and gesturing toward the living room. “I figured it’d be more comfortable if we work over in here.” I follow him into the living room. “You brought all your notes and everything?”_ _

__“Yes,” I say, sitting down on the comfortable couch. I pull my things out of my purse as he walks back into the kitchen._ _

__“Would you like some wine?” I hear him ask from the kitchen. “I usually have a class or two around now.”_ _

__“Oh… um, I don’t know, I have to drive home.” He walks back into the living room with two glasses of white wine._ _

__“This stuff won’t do much to you,” he assures, sitting back at the couch. “You’ll be fine if you just have one glass.” I take the wine filled glass from him, still a bit unsure. But he nods encouragingly. I’ve never tried wine before, but I guess now’s a good a time as any._ _

__“Thank you,” I say, taking a small sip. I wince slightly at the sour taste, but overall, it has a nice citrusy flavor, like lemon or pineapple. He grins at my surprised expression. “That’s pretty good,” I say._ _

__“This is a pretty nice brand. I don’t drink much, but I’m a sucker for this stuff.”_ _

__“I don’t really drink too much either,” I say, taking another sip from the fruity tasting drink._ _

__“So, I know you haven’t done this in a while,” he starts, “and I wasn’t sure where you’d start needing some direction, so I figured we’d just go through everything, make sure you’re comfortable with it all.” I nod in congruity._ _

__“That would probably be best,” I accept._ _

__

__Forty five minutes later, everything has pretty much sunken back in. Mr. Evans helps me go through all the old essay techniques I slightly remember learning in high school until I’ve finally caught back on. Eventually, I’m able to write a complete five paragraph essay with all the necessary effects._ _

__“Now of course, your midterm will be a little more complex,” Mr. Evans reminds me as I look over the completed essay, “but I think it’s safe to say you're starting to get back on track again.”_ _

“Yes, thank you so much,” I say truthfully. He stands up and heads over to the kitchen, taking the empty wine glasses with him while I slowly begin to get my things together, still staring down at all the work I just did. _I really learned all of this in high school? _“I should probably get going, I have to get up early tomorrow.”__

______“Of course,” he calls behind him. I stand up, gathering all my things. “I’ll see you in class then?”_ _ _ _ _ _

____“Yep,” I answer, walking past the kitchen toward the front door. “Thank you again for everything.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s my job, he replies, smiling back and walking over to open the door for me. “Have a good night.”_ _ _ _

____I walk out to my car and start to head back toward the main street, past the isolated road. Everything is fine until I’m about halfway home._ _ _ _

____A strange blur begins to curl around my vision and I suddenly begin to feel slightly woozy. I blink my eyes a couple times, but the blurriness doesn’t leave my eyes. I shake myself, trying to snap myself out of whatever daze I’m falling into. It eventually turns into me trying to keep myself awake until I’m able to get home._ _ _ _

____I arrive at the apartment building and step out of the car, but as soon as I do, everything suddenly spins and I nearly fall flat on my face. I quickly try to regain my footing, but my feet can barely move. The surrounding noises of cars racing by sound slightly muffled, as if I’m under water. I stumble into the lobby, but my entire body feels like lead. I find I can’t even move my lips._ _ _ _

____I somehow manage to get myself onto the elevator and up to my floor all while wondering what in the hell is the matter with me. I briefly consider that perhaps the stress of overworking has finally decided to crash down on me, while I force my unwilling feet to clumsily move me down the hall toward my apartment. I try to rub my eyes, but everywhere I look, I still see a huge blurred streak._ _ _ _

____I’m fairly certain I’ve made it into my apartment before everything goes black._ _ _ _

____* * *_ _ _ _

____Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _

____“How many units did we send out this morning?” Phasma asks me as I sort through the paperwork in front of me._ _ _ _

____“Five units out to Crait, nine out to Hoth,” I answer. “We’re still making sure the borders are secure. Should only take a couple weeks.”_ _ _ _

____“Right. Hux of course thinks we should send more.”_ _ _ _

____“Hux wants to micromanage anything he can’t control,” I answer. “Tell him he knows where he can stick his opinion.”_ _ _ _

____“Are you ever afraid he might go over your head, like you do with him? I mean, he holds the same amount of power as you.” I laugh quietly to myself._ _ _ _

____“Because he knows I can kick his little wimpey ass.”_ _ _ _

____“We all can,” Phasma admits. “I’m holding myself back everyday.”_ _ _ _

____“You and me both,” I tell her. The door to the breakroom suddenly opens._ _ _ _

____“Ugh,” I hear Phasma groan. “I’ll be back in the control room.” I look up and see her walking briskly out the door, then look over to see what made her so pissy._ _ _ _

____I grin to myself as Finn brushes into the room, talking with someone on the phone. I shake my head and go back to my work. I don’t know what Finn did to piss Phasma off so badly, but she really can’t stand the guy._ _ _ _

____“You’re sure there’s nothing on the home phone?” he’s saying to whoever’s on the other line. “Well then get out of bed, Poe, this is serious!” I look up and frown when I see Finn’s expression. He looks extremely nervous. Terrified even. “I talked to everyone who’s here. It doesn’t matter, she would have called one of us.” I listen more closely, worry starting to flow through me as well. “I tried calling her like ten times. Poe, I’m really worried. Should we call the University?”_ _ _ _

____“What’s going on?” I demand, standing up and walking over to him. He looks over at me as if I were some random guy asking him what’s up. “Finn, what happened?” I ask loudly._ _ _ _

____“Look, you try calling her,” he says to Poe. “Leia’s been calling me too, and I don’t know what to tell her.” He hangs up the phone and I look at him pointedly. He sighs, looking as if he doesn’t want to tell me._ _ _ _

____“Rey didn’t come in this morning,” he tells me. “It’s been almost two hours, she’s never this late. And if she wasn’t going to come to work, she would have told Leia and then she would have told me or Poe.” I feel my blood go cold. “I’ve been calling and texting her all morning and she hasn’t gotten back and I’m really freaking out.”_ _ _ _

____“Where was she last night?” I ask, but then I remember. “That teacher?” Finn nods. “Well, did she tell anyone when she got there or when she left?”_ _ _ _

“No, Kylo, she’s not nine.” He glances down at his phone. “But she’s almost never not at work. And when she’s not, she always gets back to me when I ask her where she is.” _Fuck. _“And she would never not call Leia to say she’s not coming in-” He stops and follows me as I walk towards the door, my hands curling into fists. “What are you doing?”__

________“Going to her apartment,” I tell him, not stopping. “If she’s not there, we need to find out where that teacher lives.” I go to the elevator and hit the button for the lobby. Finn stands back at the doorway. “Are you coming or staying?” He scoffs at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“I can’t just leave work!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Suit yourself.” The doors open and I am about to step in, but I stop so suddenly, I nearly fall over when I see who’s standing in the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _

______I wake up feeling like a ton of bricks had collapsed onto me. My eyelids are so heavy, it takes me a solid sixty seconds before I can open them. And then another thirty seconds before the room slowly unfolds from the giant blur I see. I move my arms to push myself off whatever extremely uncomfortable surface I’m laying on. I look around the room and sit up quickly, still feeling groggy, trying to figure out if it’s morning or night._ _ _ _ _ _

It takes me a moment to realize I’m laying on the floor of my apartment in front of the kitchen. I can’t remember how the hell I got here or what the hell happened. The last thing I remember… _what day was it yesterday? It was… Wednesday? I was going to… oh._

Then I remember. Mr. Evans’ house. That’s where I was going. _Did I ever come home? Yes. I was driving home and then… oh. Fuck._

_______ _ _ _

__

I stumble up off the floor, looking down and seeing I’m still in all my clothes. My eyes snap shut when met with an almost blinding brightness glinting through the windows from across the room. _Ok. So it’s definitely daytime. _I step forward, still squinting and covering my eyes, but manage to make my way to dining room table to sit down.__

“I passed out from one glass of wine,” I whisper to myself. I shake my head, my feeling of uncertainty now turning into embarrassment. “What a fucking lightweight.” _Force, I’m so fucking embarrassed. _The strange thing is, I don’t feel hungover or sick, just…_ really _tired.__

I lean forward on the table, putting my head in my hands. Then I feel my stomach jump as I remember something else. “Oh my-” I jump up, looking around the room. _It’s Thursday! _My head whips around to the clock on the wall where it reads ten fifteen._ “Shit!”_

I grab my phone out of my purse that was on the floor near the door and turn it on to see about a million missed calls and unanswered texts from Finn and Leia. I’m late for work because I was _passed out drunk! _That’s a sentence I never thought I’d have to say.__

________________________My jolt of horror seems to have temporarily pushed my grogginess away and I immediately start to call Leia as I grab my purse and sprint out the door and down the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Rey?” Leia answers. “Goodness, I was starting to worry…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Leia, I am so sorry!” I plead as I practically slam the buttons on the elevator. “I… I overslept, I didn’t wake up until just now… I’m on my way over.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Rey, calm down. I am sure there is a perfectly good explanation. You’re a good employee, you don’t have to worry about oversleeping one morning, ok?” My breathing starts to slow as I step into the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Ok,” I answer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Just focus on driving safely. Don’t speed.” I grin, feeling my heart rate start to calm down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I won’t,” I promise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________I’m able to make it to the building in just over ten minutes. Traffic wasn’t terrible, so it looks like I had a bit of a break._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I rush through the front doors of the office building, sprint to the elevator, and head up to my floor. I focus on calming myself down on the way up, trying to push past how fucking weird the past hour has been so far. I’m ready for things to go back to normal as soon as possible. _I’ll just focus on working, and everything will be alright…. Maybe I’ll skip class tonight. _I really don’t feel like showing my face in front of Mr. Evans so soon again.__

__________________________Unfortunately, my now calmed breathing state and the slightly warmed air in the building has me feeling a bit worn out again. I rub my hand along my face, as if trying to push the grogginess away. The doors bing open, and I’m about to step out when I nearly run smack into someone about to make their way into the elevator._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________I take a step back, looking up to see Kylo staring at me dumbfoundedly as if I had just appeared out of thin air. I stare oddly at him, stepping around him and seeing Finn standing by the breakroom, his eyes wide with relief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Rey?!” He runs toward me and we embrace. “ _Force _, I was fucking worried about you!” he exclaims, holding me tighter. “What the hell happened, where were you? Why didn’t you answer any of us?”__

____________________________“I… it’s a really long story,” I answer as we pull apart. “But, everything’s ok. I just… overslept.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“What happened?” I hear Kylo ask behind us. I turn around to face him and see that he’s studying me closely, as if daring me to tell him anything but the truth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“I… I drank too much wine last night,” I say quickly, not wanting to linger on the details. “I didn’t think anything was wrong, but… I spent the morning sleeping it off.” Kylo stares at me doubtfully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Wine… why were you drinking wine?” Finn asks. I turn back to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“I was at Mr. Evans’ house and we had a glass while we were working. I don’t know, maybe I drank it a little too fast, and I’m not used to it, so… I kind of… passed out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ _What? _” Kylo and Finn both blurt out at the same time, though with drastically different tones. Finn’s is filled with concern, while Kylo’s brims with anger.__

______________________________“Look, I know, it was really stupid,” I explain to Finn. “I really didn’t think I would… I mean, it was only one glass, I thought I’d be fine. But apparently, I can’t handle wine.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Good lord, Rey,” Finn says, staring at me with even more worry. “Are you ok… did you _drive _all the way here?”__

________________________________“Really, I’m fine,” I promise him. “I am completely sobered up… I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“You passed out after one glass of wine?” Kylo asks. I turn to face him again. “That doesn’t make sense.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I know, but I’m not used it, so maybe-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“You drank at the club the other night and you were fine,” Kylo points out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, I guess wine is different with me,” I tell him. “Obviously, I have to watch what I drink.” He still looks unconvinced. I still _feel _unconvinced, but I don't want to think about it anymore.__

__________________________________“So you spent the night at his house?” he clarifies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“No! I got home ok, I just started feeling weird on the way back, I didn’t pass out until I got home. Look, I need to get to work,” I say, turning back and walking towards the hall. “It’s been a really weird fucking morning and…” I look into the breakroom. “I’m hungry,” I decide. I walk inside, Finn following right behind me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Rey, are you sure you want to work today?” he asks, closing the door behind us. I go to the counter and grab one of the muffins from the basket. I don’t even care how many days old they are. “You seem… really tried. And you’re wearing the same clothes from yesterday._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Yes, Finn, I‘m fine,” I answer, taking a bite of the muffin. It’s really good. “I want to spend the day working, not sitting around thinking about how stupid I am.” Finn looks skeptical, but eventually sits down beside me on the couch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Ok,” he gives in. He shakes his head, looking doubtful. “It’s chaos in here without you to order us around anyway.” I grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“I know it is.” I turn and glance back out into the hall to see Kylo still standing by the elevator, looking in at us oddly. I can’t tell if he’s angry or just annoyed. He looks me straight in the eyes for a moment before turning sharply and walking down the hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________It’s been probably the longest day of my life. I haven’t done anything I don’t normally  
do in a day, but I feel like I’ve been carrying around three hundred pounds all day. My body feels like it’s made of lead and I’m so out of it, I can barely remember what I just did five seconds ago. Things seem so surreal, I’m not even one hundred percent sure if I’m dreaming or not. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________It’s almost eight, and I know I should have gone home a long time ago, but of course, I got caught up trying to finish more work. Everyone has left, and I was very good at covering up how drained I am, so no one was insisting I go home as well. In a way, that’s a blessing, but at the same time, I wonder how in the hell I’m going to drive home. I’m going to have to stand in the bathroom and shower my face with ice cold water for a few minutes before heading out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________I’m in the smaller workroom now, finishing up the last few forms we have to fill out in order to get permission to hold the summer fundraiser for GuideLife in D’Qar. I’m sitting at one of the small desks, leaning my head against my hand and trying to keep my eyes open, even though it feels like some kind of magnet is pulling my eyelids down. I notice my writing is getting a little lighter, so I put my hand down and try to rest for a minute. I don’t realize my head has slowly slid onto the desk and my eyes have finally allowed themselves to close until I feel a large hand gently placed on my back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Rey.” I stir slightly, my eyes slowly blinking open to the deep voice. _How long did I sleep? _I sit up, and probably would feel incredibly alarmed if I wasn’t so out of it. It takes me a minute to remember I’m still at work.__

____________________________________I turn to see the person who woke me step around the desk to look at me, his hand still on my back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“You should go home,” he says, kneeling down next to me. I blink at him, trying to snap myself back into reality._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Kylo… what time is it?” I ask. Force, I sound like I just woke up at three in the morning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“It’s eight thirty,” he answers, moving his hand from my back and grabs ahold of my arm with both hands. He stands up, pulling me up with him. “Let’s go, I’m taking you home.” He leads me out of the workroom into the darkly lit hall. We get to the elevator, and I suddenly remember I didn’t grab any of my things. But when I turn to go back, I glance down and see Kylo holding my purse. He hands it to me, noticing my confused expression._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________We walk into the elevator, and I lean up against the wall, closing my eyes, but still managing to keep myself from sinking down to the floor, somehow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Is this what hangovers are like?” I ask, running my hand over my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“No,” Kylo responds. I sigh in frustration._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Then what the hell is wrong with me?” I mumble._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I don’t know,” he answers back, sounding as if he’s thinking about something. We get to the lobby and Kylo pulls me out of the elevator as we start heading down towards the entrance. I try to keep up with him so he doesn’t have to yank me along, but he’s walking so damn fast. At least, I think he is. Considering the condition I’m in, he could be walking normally and I’d be none the wiser._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

We get out into the cold night air and the loud noises of the city, briefly shocking me out of my trance, but not for too long. We walk across the street to the parking garage, and it doesn’t take us long to get to his car since it’s on the first floor. _How the hell does he get such a good spot? _I wonder to myself._ He’d have to get here at four am. _He unlocks the car and opens the passenger door. He takes my purse from me and drops it in the back seat as I crawl into the front. He shuts the door after me, and I manage to doze off for the few seconds it takes from him to get from my side of the car, to the driver’s side.__

________________________________________I startle awake again as he opens the door and gets in, starting the car. The heater comes on, and I sink deeper into my seat, relaxed by the warm heat. I don’t manage to stay conscious long enough for him to even pull out of the garage into the street._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________She sleeps the entire way to her apartment building. I glance over at her every now and then, making sure her chest is still moving. She manages to look just as stunning in sleep as she does awake. I begin to find it difficult to take my eyes off her for too long._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_What has this girl done to me? _The past few weeks I’ve found myself looking for any excuse to talk to her or just be around her. Anytime I catch a glimpse of her, or even think about her, I’m able to block out the biting rage I’m feeling, usually about work. Even just being near her, I feel a strange wave of calm that is incredibly foreign for me.__

__

_________________________________________I pull up into the parking lot of her building, looking over at her sleeping form. I unbuckle my seatbelt and am about to try and wake her up, but my hand hovers in front of her. She’s slumped down in her seat, looking like she’s needed to sleep for a few weeks. I stare at her a few moments longer before reaching back and grabbing her purse. Luckily, I don’t have to dig around too long before finding her keys. I look down at her apartment key to get the number, then get out of the car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________I walk around to her side and open the door. I lean down and reach over her small form to undo her seatbelt. She doesn’t even stir as I wrap my arm around her torso and pull her toward me. I wrap my other arm under her knees, make sure her head is tucked onto my shoulder, then slowly lift her out of the car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________She barely weighs anything in my arms. I startle slightly at how light she is before nudging the door shut and heading up to the building. I reach over and open the door, get onto the elevator, and go up to her floor. Since she’s so small, I’m able to slide my arm out and open everything easily without disturbing her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________I walk down the hall toward her apartment, remembering the way from the two other times I’ve been here. Luckily I don’t run into anyone on the way, because this probably looks a little odd._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________My eyes scan the line of doors until I find 212. I gently place Rey’s feet on the ground, still holding her up under her arm as she slumps up against me while I get her key out of my pocket and open the door. I lift her back up again and walk inside to the pitch black apartment, the only light coming from the windows up on top of the walls letting in a glimpse of the bright city lights._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________I walk over to the couch and lay her down. I lean down over her still sound asleep form and pull off her short black boots as gently as I can. I doubt she’d wake up anyway. I set her purse down on the coffee table along with her key. I stand still, looking down at her for a couple seconds before grabbing the blanket off the other couch and draping it over her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________I glance up over at where the kitchen is and walk over, searching around for something to write on. Rey might not remember how she got home, or, knowing her, she will remember and freak out when she realizes I didn’t wake her up and just carried her up to her apartment. I find a pen and a notepad and quickly write her a note, glancing up at the fruit bowl as I do. I know she’ll notice if I took one and she’d definitely get all worked up about it. I grin to myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________I walk back over to the couch and set the note on the coffee table. I stare down at her again, wondering if I should just stay with her. It’s quite tempting, and it’d be undeniably amusing to see her reaction when she wakes up, but it’d probably be best if I just let her be. For a little while at least._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	17. Chapter 17

Rey P.O.V.

I yank myself up into a sitting position when I slowly wake up to my very brightly lit apartment. It’s never this light in the morning, so I know I must have slept in way too late. Again. That is confirmed when I look at the clock on the wall over in the kitchen. Ten am. _When was the last time I slept this late? _I don’t remember why I fell asleep on the couch… or how the hell I was able to drive home…_ oh shit. ___

I didn’t drive myself home. Kylo was driving me home. I don’t even remember the whole ride home, and certainly not walking up to my apartment and falling asleep on the couch. _Did he….?_

______My eyes fall to a piece of paper sitting on the coffee table next to my purse. I grab it and read it, my face turning more and more red as I do._ _ _ _ _ _

_Brought you inside last night, you were asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. I left your key on the coffee table right next to this note. I left you my number in case you need anything. Don’t freak out.  
-Ren_

_P.S. You’re staying home today and resting, If I see you at work, I’ll take you right back home._

_____________My hands drop to my knees. Of course my first instinct is to be angry with him for not waking me up last night. And for ordering me around as if he automatically knows what’s best for me to do. But honestly, I do still feel slightly groggy, and if I go to work, I risk ending up in the same situation I was in last night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I grab my phone out of my purse and start to call Leia. But as soon as she picks up and I’m about to clumsily explain everything, she tells me she already knows I’m home sick today and that everything’s been taken care of. I just sit there in silence for a while before asking how she knew I wasn’t coming in today._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Finn told me,” she answers. _The hell? Did Kylo tell Finn about all of this? _“He said you were way too sick to even come in yesterday. You really should rest up this weekend, but I assume you’ll be wanting to work from home today?” I grin to myself. She knows me too well.__

____

__

________After I’m done talking with Leia, I stare down at my phone indecisively before I put it down. I glance over at the note with Kylo’s number scribbled at the bottom. I bite my lip nervously before quickly going to my contacts to add him in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Hey, it’s Rey. I was mad at you, but I think I’m over it now. I just wanted to say thank you. Again._

____________I stare down at the sent message for a moment, shaking my head as I’m about to turn the phone off and go get some breakfast. But the device buzzes as soon as I set it down on the table. I pick it up to look at the new message._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_It’s always a pleasure, scavenger. Glad you’re not mad anymore._

______________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I have to admit, working from home all day Friday was pretty nice. I got more done than I thought I would, mostly because I didn’t have a million distractions popping up around me. I had the tv turned onto The Office all day and got to do all my work while sitting comfortably on the couch, at the kitchen counter, at the dining room table, and even on the floor just because I felt like it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Finn and Poe came over for lunch. I decided not to disclose too much information about everything that happened the night before. But apparently Kylo had told Finn to tell Leia that I was staying home. Finn of course really wanted to know why Kylo had this information, but I gracefully avoided the question._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________It’s Saturday now, and I feel pretty much back to normal. Although, I will admit, I’ve been lazy all day. I’ve just been watching a Fast and Furious marathon that’s on tv. Maybe not the smartest thing I could be doing, but hell, it’s entertaining at least._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________It’s Finn and Poe’s anniversary today, so they’re out spending the day together. Before they left yesterday, Finn quietly told me that he’d gotten Poe a necklace with a calendar on it that had the date of their anniversary circled. I can practically see what Poe’s gushing reaction will be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I sit up from my comfortable spot lying on the couch when I hear a knock at my door. I’m on Fast Five and my brain might just go crazy from all these endless car chases and explosions. I look down at my phone to see the time. Four thirty. I don’t think Finn and Poe went to dinner yet. Maybe they need something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I get up and walk over to the door. _Maybe it’s the manager _I think, laughing to myself._ Maybe they've heard all the explosions and shooting. _I open the door, not really knowing who to expect. But I realize I should have known when I see who’s standing in the hall.__

“You know, you do have my number now,” I say, leaning against the door frame. “You _can _inform me when you will be stopping by.”__

__________________“I like to surprise you,” Kylo replies, giving me that shit eating grin again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, what are you here to surprise me with?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Are you feeling better?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Much better, thank you. And thank you for helping me out the other night, again. Yes, I was pissed you didn’t wake me up before walking into my apartment, but I got over it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You needed to sleep,” he responds pointedly. “I made an executive decision.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh?” I ask, my eyes widening sarcastically. “An executive decision? Well, next time, I’d prefer to be woken up.” He grins mischievously and steps closer to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Next time?” he asks. “No promises.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I didn’t mean- oh, screw you!” I exclaim, turning and walking back into the living room. He follows behind me, closing the door. I plop back down on the couch and go back to watching Vin Diesel and Paul Walker whip their cars around and blow things up. Kylo looks at what I’m watching and shakes his head in confusion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You continue to surprise me with your cinema interests.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Didn't peg me for a Fast and Furious fan?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Not exactly,” he answers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, I happen to love dumb action movies,” I say. “I love Vin Diesel, I love Dwayne Johnson, and I think Paul Walker is gorgeous.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Uh huh,” he says slowly. “You’ve been watching these all day?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yep,” I answer confidently. “And I’m not embarrassed to admit it.” He walks up behind the couch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No plans for today?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No, it’s Finn and Poe’s anniversary, so I get the day off from them,” I tell him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“You want to come over?” It’s silent for a moment, the only sound filling the air being cars skidding across the road and loud pulse pounding action music._______________

___________________“Like… to your house?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yes. I have cable, so you can continue watching these lovely Oscar worthy films if you so desire.” I laugh, turning back to look at him. I guess it wouldn’t be bad to have someone to hang out with. I haven’t been by myself for this long in a while._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, what will we be having for dinner?” I ask. “Because I was going to have some lovely leftover chicken from a week ago.” He grins, as if he couldn’t be happier to hear that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Actually, I was planning on having a steak and green beans tonight.” I smile in relief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That sounds amazing.” I reach over and grab the remote to click off the tv. “Let’s go!” I say, jumping off the couch and grabbing my phone and my shoes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________We pull up into the quiet suburban neighborhood just inside of Dantooine. I look around in amazement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I can’t believe you live in a place like this,” I say, looking around in wonder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, I picked an area where it’s mostly just adults keeping to themselves,” he says, pulling into the driveway of the last house on the street, right across the street from a lovely looking forrest. “No kids anywhere close by.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh, well, that’s good,” I say honestly. “This is really nice,” I praise as we pull into the garage. The two story house is definitely painted a few shades darker than all the others on the block, which is either why Kylo picked it, or he had the paint redone. It looks fairly well kept and even has a nice porch in the front. No chairs or anything, but I never took Kylo for the relaxing outside on the porch type._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________We step out of the car and I walk around to the front of the house._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“How long have you lived here?” I ask, looking at the small group of plants growing around the front porch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Ever since I was eighteen,” he answers. I turn to face him, my eyes wide. He shrugs as he shuts the garage door. “I wanted to move out of my parents’ house as soon as possible. So I saved up. Besides my mom… well, she’s got somewhat of a good reputation. So I was able to get a nice deal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Do you own it?” I ask as we walk up onto the porch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Is that when you started working at First Order? When you were eighteen?” He nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“As soon as I could.” He unlocks the front door and opens it. We step into a walkway with a table standing against the wall that he tosses his keys onto. I follow him further past the walkway and we end up in a large joint kitchen and living room. The right side, the living room, is very large, with a big comfortable looking couch along with two sofa chairs on either side. There is a large flat screen tv on the wall above a stone fireplace. Farther down, next to a window facing the forest, is a dining room table about the same size as mine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The kitchen is smaller, but has a nice layout with enough appliances for me to guess that Kylo cooks a lot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The color theme for everything, of course, is black, aside from the walls. And yet, I still get an overwhelming feel of comfort from it all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“This is really nice,” I say earnestly, looking around in wonder. “It’s… homey.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Um… thanks,” he says, sounding as if he doesn’t know what to say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I guess I don’t have to ask if you picked out all the furniture yourself,” I say, glancing around._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No, you’re a smart woman,” he grins knowingly. I turn back towards the staircase._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Can I see the upstairs?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Of course.” We walk up the brown carpeted stairs that turn and lead up to the second story that has a railing along the hallway. I’ve always loved those._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“This reminds me of Tommy’s house from the original Halloween,” I comment as we get up onto the floor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I hope that’s a good thing,” Kylo replies as I walk down the hall ahead of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It is,” I reassure him, looking through an open door. “What’s this?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“The bedroom. My bedroom.” I look through the door to see a moderately sized bedroom with a king sized bed against the wall, and a small tv up on the wall above a dresser and along side a group of windows looking out down at the street._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It’s nice,” I say, stepping back to look at him. He steps around me and leads me further down the hall, to the other side of the railing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“This is the guest bedroom,” he says, opening the door. It’s a smaller bedroom with a queen sized brown sheeted bed against the wall across from a dresser and vanity mirror. There is a window on the wall that I suppose would look out over the backyard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Have a lot of guests over often?” I ask, turning to face him and giving him a teasing smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No, but I had to take it because it came with the rest of the house,” he says, grinning back at me. I shake my head and give an exaggerated sigh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, Mr. Anti-social, I believe I was promised dinner.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I work on the steak while Rey volunteers to cook the green beans. She works extremely fast, somehow knowing where everything is in the kitchen and how to work it. Maybe I’m more predictable than I thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________She follows me out to the backyard when I go to put the steak on the grill. I can’t help smiling to myself as she gasps, looking out at the large backyard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I guess I never really took much notice in it. I mean, there was a large patch of green grass surrounded by a brown painted fence. There were a few plants, flowers, and a few small trees surrounding the yard and fairly nice sized grey porch with a small patio. And I guess what really put the icing on the cake was the strings of lights hanging over the porch. I can’t even remember ever turning them on. Maybe once when my parents came to visit and my mom insisted on having them on._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Kylo!” she exclaims, looking at me as if I should have told her about this earlier as I walk over to the grill. “This is _gorgeous! _”__

____________________“Oh… well, thanks,” I say, starting up the grill. She steps down off the porch, looking around in awe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Do you live out here or something?” she asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Actually, not at all,” I admit. “I only come out here every once in a while. Honestly, the gardeners probably spend more time out here than I do.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Did you decorate all of this yourself?” she questions, looking a bit unsure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“No, pretty much all of it was here when I moved in. I just never got rid of it.” I pause, glancing up overhead. “And I think my mom liked the lights.” She walks around the yard for a few moments longer, and I turn my head slightly away from what I’m doing to watch her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I snap my gaze away when she turns and walks back up to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Where do your parents live?” she asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“D’Qar,” I answer, tensing slightly. I hope this isn't about to lead into a full conversation about my parents._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh. That’s not too far. Do they visit a lot?” _Not anymore._

______________________“Every once in a while, I guess.” I think she can tell I don’t want to talk about them because she suddenly changes the subject._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You know, I don’t know where I expected you’d live, but I certainly didn’t think of a place like this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Oh yeah?” I ask, grinning. “Did you expect me to be living in an apartment above the office?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Maybe,” she confesses. “But really, this is… amazing.” I smile warmly down at her, feeling, I guess, a swell of pride._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, I’m glad you like it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________We finish up making dinner, then turn the tv on to catch the end of Fast Five and begin watching Fast & Furious 6 while we eat at the counter. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________I don’t know why, but seeing Rey here feels so… right. I’ve never really thought much of my house, just as a place to stay. But having her here, her glowing smile that can light up an entire room, makes everything seem… beautiful and exciting. I can’t help thinking about how it nice it would be to have her here all the time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________After dinner, we clean everything up and then move to the couch. We watch the rest of the movie and continue onto Furious 7. It’s fascinating how into the movies she gets. It reminds me of how I used to be. I used to feel a glorious rush of adrenaline with any movie I watched. I can’t even remember the last time I was able to keep my mind focused on an entire film._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________As the movie goes on, it gets darker and darker, but Rey doesn’t seem to notice. I find myself hoping she’ll ask to stay the night. A sudden thrill goes through me as I imagine waking up in the morning and having her here._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The movie comes to an end, and she watches the Paul Walker tribute with wide, tear-filled eyes. She really does love that guy. I remember when I heard he died, I was pretty bummed myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The channel moves on to some new comedy show that I’ve never heard of because I don’t watch tv that much anymore. I guess Fate of the Furious is too new for them to play on tv yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You know, I’d never seen all of those movies before,” she says as I reach over to turn off the tv._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Really.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah, I’d only seen the first two. Those were pretty fun though, I liked them. Isn’t there a new one that came out a couple years ago?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah. I went to see it in the theater, but I can’t remember what happened exactly.” I glance back down the hall to the extra room by the stairs. “I bought it on blu ray when it came out though.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Really?” she asks before grinning slyly. “Well, I guess I’ll have to come back sometime so I can see it.” _I guess so._

________________________She stands up, looking at the clock on the kitchen wall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh Force, it’s nine already,” she says, walking towards the front entry way to grab her phone. “I don’t suppose you could give me a ride back home?” _No _I want to say to her._ I think you’re just going to have to stay here with me. _I stand up as she turns back to face me.__

____________________________“Are you sure you want to go?” I ask, walking slowly toward her and not taking my narrowed gaze off her. I know that gets to her. She bites her lip, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Don’t you want me out of your hair for a while?” she asks, though her voice seems a little quieter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Why would I want that?” I ask, stopping when I’m close enough to her that I can see her unsteady breathing. _Do I do the same things to her that she does to me? _I see her breath catch in her throat as I reach my arm out around her, leaning forward slightly to grab my keys off the table. Her face flushes as I lean back away from her. “Well?” I ask. “Shall we go?”__


	18. Chapter 18

Rey P.O.V.

“So, I take it everything went well?” I ask, looking at the giddy couple in front of me. Finn, Poe, and I are at Flamez for lunch and they’ve been telling me all about their grand date yesterday, all while unable to keep more than a couple centimeters away from each other. And of course, Poe is wearing the necklace Finn got him.

“I swear to the Force, this man is going to drive me crazy,” Poe says, shaking his head and gripping Finn’s hand on the table.

“It was really nice,” Finn says, smiling bashfully like he always does when talking about Poe. 

“Was he a gentleman?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at Finn, who nods, blushing even more.

“Yes, a perfect gentleman,” he answers. I smile, watching them both practically glow for each other. I love it when they’re like this, though it’s not too rare of an occasion.

“And what about you?” Poe asks after taking a sip of his coke. “What did you do without being graced with our illustrious presence?”

“Um… nothing really.” I twirl my straw in my glass of lemonade. “I just hung out and watched tv. There was a Fast and Furious marathon on.”

“Oh shit, we missed it!” Poe exclaims.

“Damn,” Finn says sarcastically, shaking his head. “I really love Vin Diesel.”

“Yeah, they were pretty fun,” I say, casually popping a french fry into my mouth. Poe continues to stare at me, and I think he knows I’m not mentioning something. He also probably knows exactly what I’m not mentioning.

We finish eating and Finn and I go up to the front to pay the bill while Poe heads out to the car. There’s a short line, and Finn turns toward me as soon as we get into it.

“So did you hang out with Kylo yesterday?” I whip around to him, stuttering slightly in surprise and trying to answer him. To my surprise, he grins. “You are really hitting it off with him, aren’t you?”

“Is it really that obvious?” I finally put the words together and out of my mouth.

“I’ve been your best friend for most of my life. I know when you’re trying to hide something. You know you can tell us if you’ve been hanging out with someone, right?”

“What, just to hear more shit from you two?” I ask, shoving him playfully as he chuckles.

“Ok, ok, fair enough. But can you blame me? I mean, the guy was like, your worst enemy for the longest time, and then you came and told us he’s cool now.” I shrug, nodding my head.

“Ok, I guess that’s fair.” He rolls his eyes and I laugh, shaking my head. We move up the line and the lady in front of us stops before walking off.

“You two are an adorable couple,” she says, grinning warmly.

“Thank you,” I smile politely back at her before Finn and I step up to the counter. Finn stands there, looking like he was about to explain something, but then stopping and staring at me, flabbergasted as the lady walks off. I quickly pay the bill while Finn continues to stand and stare at me in severe confusion. I don’t even realize it until I turn to walk out the door.

“What, that’s never happened to us before?” I ask. He shakes his head as he follows me to the door. “It happens to Poe and I all the time. You just have to smile and say thanks, it’s easier.”

“It happens to you and Poe?” he asks as we walk out onto the sidewalk. 

“Yeah. Apparently, not only does it look like him and I belong together, but it would appear that you and I make a lovely couple as well.” He stares at the ground thoughtfully as we walk to the car.

“That never happens to me and him.”

“Well, I guess people really don’t know what the perfect couple looks like.”

* * * 

The next week goes by pretty quickly. I get a lot of work done, at work and school, Kylo pesters me as usual, I hang out with the boys, etc. We plan to have a Jurassic Park marathon at their apartment on Saturday since the new one is coming out in theaters. And at the last moment, I decide to invite Kylo as well. I’m not sure he’ll say yes, but I might as well try.

“I have a proposition for you,” I tell him, standing by the couch when he enters the breakroom Friday morning. He stands in front of me, grinning.

“I’m intrigued,” he says, crossing his arms.

“We’re having a marathon tomorrow at Finn and Poe’s apartment. You’re invited to attend if you so desire.” He nods slowly, looking curious. 

“Will you be there?”

“Well of course I’ll be there! Where else would I be?” He chuckles, watching me as if I were some small child he’s teasing. 

“Well, then I guess I’ll have to go.”

* * * 

Kylo P.O.V.

Rey texts me Finn and Poe’s address Saturday morning and I head over around ten am. I don’t know why her friends would want me at their place. I mean, they’re ok I guess, but I wouldn’t say we necessarily enjoy each other’s company. I’d much rather just be alone with Rey, but I guess this is the closest I can get for now when we’re not at work.

I get to the apartment building and go up to their floor. I’m surprised at how high-end it is, I guess I expected them to live in one of the more informal places like where Rey lives. I knock at their door, and Rey immediately answers.

“Just on time,” she says grinning. She steps aside and I walk in. 

“I couldn’t miss this,” I tell her quietly. I look around to see an actually quite impressive studio apartment. The whole place is basically a dark brown hardwood floored living room with a nice kitchen off to the side and a fireplace under the tv on the wall. I can see the bedroom is on the other side of the wall, and huge glass walls line the right wall of the apartment, one of the panes being a sliding glass door that leads out to a patio overlooking the city. I hate to admit it, but it really is a nice place.

“Alright, who’s ready for this badassery?” Poe asks, getting the blu ray player ready. 

“Yeah, let’s get this started!” Finn answers. Rey leads me over to the couch. She sits down and pulls me down next to her. I wish she’d keep her hand on my arm. Ugh, what the hell?

Finn sits down next to her on her other side after giving me a brief mistrusting look, and Poe goes over to the kitchen and brings over a huge bowl of popcorn as the first movie starts. I try to ignore Finn’s obvious hostility and focus instead of how close Rey’s sitting next to me. And how much closer I want her to be.

I lean up against the arm of the couch, my eyes silently glancing down at Rey’s bare thigh as she swings her leg mindlessly from the couch. Her skin looks so soft. _Good lord Kylo, pull your shit together! _I run my hand through my hair and cross my legs over each other, hoping to everything holy that none of them look over._ Seriously, I feel like a fucking fourteen year old. _This is going to be one long movie.__

__

__The day actually goes along pretty well. I forgot how good the first Jurassic Park is. And Rey and her friends are a pretty good crowd to have a movie marathon with. They do know their shit, and they called out all the classic lines along with the characters. So, regretfully, I continue to be impressed._ _

__We do unfortunately have to sit through the third one only because Poe claims we might need to remember something that happened in this one when the new one comes out. I doubt that because everyone hates this damn movie, but I go along. I mostly just watch Rey instead of the movie._ _

__I don’t know what is so fascinating about this woman when she thinks I’m not looking at her. Maybe it’s just because I’m dying to know whatever she’s thinking at the moment when her focused stare is on the screen. Maybe I’m hoping she’s thinking about me too._ _

__It’s late when we’ve finished dinner (this time, pizza from Round Table) and are almost finished with Jurassic World. I guess everyone’s pretty tired, because when I look over, everyone is asleep by the time there is fifteen minutes left of the film. Finn and Poe had moved to the floor, surrounded by a pool of blankets and pillows, and are sleeping up against the couch. I’m still in the same spot I started in, but Rey had laid herself out on the couch, hugging a blanket around herself, and is now sleeping as well._ _

__I stand up, carefully stepping around the sleeping group, and go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I glance back over to the couch to see Rey sleeping peacefully, her arm tucked under her head as a makeshift pillow. I stare at her, as if looking at her for the first time. She looks different when she sleeps. More calm and less stressed. She always seems like she thinks she has to be on top of everything all the time. As if she’d freak out if she wasn’t in control. I never really considered that before. I wonder if anyone else has._ _

I step back around the counter and into the living room, still watching her. I stop next to the couch, standing above her. Her shoulders move slightly with her breathing, her hair falling out behind her, leaving her face in full view. _Stars, she is beautiful._

My eyes narrow. _Has her skin always looked so soft? _I feel a rush of something lurch inside me as I get the sudden need to touch her._ Oh Force, is that weird? What am I, some kind of creep? _But I can’t help it. I glance up at Finn and Poe. Poe looks like he could sleep through a hurricane, but Finn looks like he’s waiting for a pin to drop, even though he’s asleep. Even in sleep, he looks defensive.__

My hand starts moving forward before I look back down at her. _Fuck fuck fuck. _I reach down to her sleeping form and gently brush the back of my hand down her face. I move my fingers slowly, beginning to breath again, not realizing I had stopped for a moment. Her skin is soft. It feels even better than it looks.__

I move my hand away, now feeling a need to run my fingers over her hair. _Force, why do I want this woman so bad? _Without thinking, I reach out toward her hair, not considering how possibly creepy this is anymore.__

My finger just touches her hair when I see movement out of the corner of my eyes. I snatch my hand away, and look up to see Poe stirring awake. _Ok, I guess my judgement was wrong. _Poe looks up at the tv, then begins to get up. I back away from the living room and go back into the kitchen, pretending to be getting a drink out of the fridge.__

I turn around and see Poe getting up and walking toward the kitchen. _Well, shit. _He steps around me and reaches into the fridge, grabbing a can of coke.__

__________________“You gonna head out after this?” he asks, cracking open the can. I nod. He laughs quietly, shaking his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It looks like Finn and Rey are knocked out cold. I guess waking up at six am five times a week does that to you though.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I could take her home,” I offer, looking over at her. “If she’s too tired to drive.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Nah, she’ll probably just stay the night here. She does it all the time, we’ll just stop by her place tomorrow before we go to the movie.” He looks back up at me, as if just remembering something. “You’re welcome to join us, by the way.” I shake my head, taking a gulp of water._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, I… I have some things I need to do tomorrow,” I lie. I seriously can’t be around her and act natural for another day, or else I might go insane. Poe nods, looking like he’s not buying that bullshit. _Damn, he’s good._

____________________“Well, if you change your mind, you know where we’ll be,” he says, walking back toward the living room as the movie comes to a close. He stops and turns back to face me once more. “You really care about her, don’t you?” I nearly choke on my water._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I… yes,” I answer. He nods slowly, and I get the feeling he knows a lot more than he’s letting on. “She’s a good person,” I explain. But fuck. He knows that’s not the reason why._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Yeah, I know she is,” he says. “I’ve known her a long time.” He goes back over to sit next to Finn. I can’t tell if his words were a simple statement or a warning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	19. Chapter 19

Rey P.O.V.

All throughout the next week, Kylo asks me when I’m coming over to watch The Fate of the Furious. I keep telling him I have to wait and see if my weekend will be free. I already know it will be. Why do I like torturing him so much? 

However, by Friday, I decide to finally ease up on him.

“I may have some time to spare this weekend,” I tell him, unable to keep a smug grin off my face. He smiles in that weird way of his where he doesn’t actually smile, but his eyes do. “I will be at your house at six pm on Saturday, as that is the most appropriate time to start a movie. I will then leave at around eight thirty, once the presumably two hour film is over. I will drive myself, I will not stay the night, and you will not accompany me home.” He stands staring at me, a small grin playing on his lips.

“It appears you’ve planned everything out.” I nod assuredly.

“I have.” He steps closer to me. “And you will not be able to convince me otherwise. We are going to have a brief and enjoyable time watching a movie as two friends with nothing-”

“I’m going to make you mine, Rey.” 

I feel my blood rush hotly throughout my body as my breathing all but stops. I stare at him with slightly widened eyes and he stares right back at me.

“What?” I ask, my voice trembling along with the rest of my body. He’s silent for a minute. Just continues to stare down at me, a small glint of hunger behind his eyes. Something about it makes my face turn an even deeper shade of red when I feel blood suddenly rush between my legs.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Rey,” he finally answers, stepping away. He leaves me alone in the hallway outside the breakroom, my heart thudding against my chest, feeling as if I’d just run a mile without stopping. I exhale, finally, my breathing starting to steady. _Force, what is this man trying to do to me? ___

__

__I do go over to his house. At exactly the time I said I would. I bring popcorn as a token of good faith. We watch the movie. I leave at the exact time I said I would. He doesn’t try to get me to stay. Instead, he seemed to be waiting to see if I will actually go along with what I said. He’s left disappointed, because I do. But I guess he does win, because I end up coming back Sunday morning._ _

__When I get there, he doesn’t seem surprised to see me._ _

__“What happened to texting before you show up?” he asks, smirking at me knowingly as I stand on the porch._ _

__“I figured you owed me one,” I reply, stepping into the entryway. He steps aside as I set my purse on the table and walk in, him following behind me. “I didn’t have anything to do today, and I thought, since you pester me all the time at work, I could come over and bug you all day.” I take off my sweater and toss it on top of my purse._ _

__“Fine by me,” he shrugs. “All I was going to do today is get some work done, but that somehow doesn’t seem so appealing anymore. What do you want to do?” I think for a moment, spinning around casually to face him._ _

__“I don’t know. Surprise me.” He grins slowly, as if suddenly getting an idea._ _

__“Come with me,” he says, walking past me and gently taking my arm. I follow him as he leads me towards the backdoor. I think we’re going into the backyard, but he stops at a door on the wall. He opens it and flicks on the light inside. I look around the small room, my mouth dropping in surprise and awe._ _

__All of the three walls in front of me are covered with gigantic bookcases that reach the ceiling. Each of them are filled to the brim with movies. I look at each of the many shelves, my eyes wide in awe, as I step further into the room. Dvds, blu rays, box sets, even multiple versions of the same movie. I turn back to Kylo, who is standing in the doorway, seemingly waiting for my reaction._ _

__“I didn’t take you for the collector type,” I laugh in disbelief._ _

__“Used to be really into it,” he shrugs, looking over the room. “I still buy a new one every other weekend or so.” I turn back to the impressive collection of films._ _

__“I’ve always wanted to buy a bunch of movies and have shelves like this,” I admit, running my hands over a few of the cases. “But I never had the room in the apartment, you know?” My eyes widen in excitement when I spot the deluxe edition Halloween box set I’ve always wanted. “How long did it take you to get all of these?”_ _

__“Started when I was ten,” he answers. “It’s been building up ever since.” I nod, raising my eyebrows. I look through, what seems to be the horror section. My eyes land on the set of Saw movies. They’re the versions with the see through slipcovers that I always thought looked cool._ _

__“Well,” I say, pulling out the first one. “You wouldn’t be in the mood for another marathon, would you?”_ _

__

__We began watching every Saw movie. Kylo was fairly impressed that I didn’t look away or get squeamish once. I guess all the girls he knows can’t handle torture porn, but I’ve been watching it for years. Of course, the first three were the best, the fourth and fifth ones were pretty boring. The sixth one was slightly more entertaining than I remember. And I guess the seventh one is a pretty fun one to watch. Kylo didn’t own the eighth one because he said it sucked. I wasn’t about to argue with that._ _

__It was about four in the afternoon when we finished since we started so early. He asked me if I was going to leave. I said no. So, we go out into the backyard and have a late lunch. He asks me to stay for dinner, and I tell him I will one night, as long as he promises we can eat out here with the pretty lights on. He seems reluctant at first, but eventually agrees. I bet the backyard looks even more gorgeous with those lights on._ _

__We end up upstairs to hang out in his bedroom, just to get a change of scenery, and I suddenly feel like a teenage girl going up to a boy’s room._ _

__I plop down on top of his bed, leaning my hands back on the soft black comforter. It’s a pretty nice bed._ _

__“This is comfy,” I say, looking down as he sits on the edge of the bed, looking at me. “I’ve always preferred beds to be softer rather than firm.”_ _

__“Yeah, why do people do that?” he asks. I shrug, shaking my head._ _

__“No idea. Finn and Poe love firm mattresses. Theirs is as hard as a rock.”_ _

__“Ok, then they definitely are insane,” Kylo scoffs. I laugh in agreement, then sigh, glancing around the room._ _

__“So, we still have to have our match at the gym,” I remind him, grinning mischievously. “I still have to kick your ass.”_ _

__“Oh,” he says, doubtfully. “Do you know how small you are? It’s physically impossible for you to win.”_ _

__“I’m fast,” I inform him, sitting up straighter. “I’m pretty sure I can work my way around you.” His eyes suddenly light up, and for some reason, it makes my heart beat a little quicker._ _

__“Well, we’ll see about that, scavenger,” he replies. “You just tell me when you’d like to have this little event, and I’ll be happy to put you in your place.” I gawk at him in mock offense, and playfully shove his arm with both hands. He moves forward off the bed a little bit, looking at me in surprise. His eyes slowly melt into a teasing gaze before he suddenly lunges forward at me. I laugh and push back against him as we both fall onto the bed. We wrestle for a few seconds, but I guess he was just playing with me, because he abruptly grabs ahold of my wrists and rolls me onto my back._ _

_Force, he _is_ strong _I think, giggling as he pins me underneath him, holding my hands firmly on either side of my head. He grins down at me playfully, slightly out of breath. I don’t know why he's out of breath, he didn’t seem to have too much trouble holding me down…__

____My smile slowly fades as my breathing begins picking up as well. His expression soon matches mine. My mind suddenly realizes the position my body is in, my legs spread open over the bed with him kneeling in between them, leaning over me while he grips my wrists in his significantly larger hands._ _ _ _

____I stare straight into his eyes, feeling as if everything has dropped away. I can’t hear, see, or think about anything other than the man hovering over me._ _ _ _

____My heartbeat accelerates as he slowly leans down on his elbows, still holding my wrists down. I feel a pulsing between my legs as Kylo lowers himself down onto me, his body completely covering mine, his face, his lips coming down even closer to my face. The tips of his raven black hair brush lightly across my face as his deep eyes somehow intensify more than I’ve ever seen them before._ _ _ _

____His lips crash down onto mine and I close my eyes, kissing him back, tasting his smooth, full lips. Force, they feel so good. His hair smooths over the side of my face again. I try to raise my hands to run them through his hair, but he presses down harder on my wrists, making me gasp quietly. As soon as my mouth opens, he plunges his tongue inside, sweeping it through and tasting every inch of my mouth. I tentatively run my tongue over his lips, his teeth, then the inside of his mouth. I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, really._ _ _ _

____His teeth suddenly graze over my lip and he bites down, causing me to gasp again, louder this time. I feel his body covering me, his waist pressed tightly against mine, his legs locked on top of my legs. I feel something hard pressing down on my inner thigh and the pulsing between my legs notably increases and to my great surprise, my hips buck up against him sharply. His breath hitches as he pulls slightly away from me, hovering for a moment before sitting up above me, releasing my wrists._ _ _ _

____He quickly starts undoing his jeans and I simultaneously reach down to unbutton my shorts. My shaking hands fumble with the zipper as he suddenly leans down over me again, reaching towards the nightstand on the side if the bed. I hear him open a drawer and shuffle around through some things for a few seconds before sitting back, a condom in his hands. He rips it open as I slide my shorts and underwear down my thighs. He pulls himself out of his jeans and pulls the condom on. I don’t even get a good look at anything because my head is practically spinning with all the excitement and stimulation. His gaze doesn’t seem to linger on anything either._ _ _ _

____Kylo leans down on top of me again, positioning himself at my entrance. I try to open my legs a little wider as he enters me. I inhale sharply at the nearly overwhelming sensation of his cock pushing inside me, but it doesn’t hurt too much because of how wet I managed to get. His head leans down toward my neck, his hands placed on either side of my head as he slowly begins thrusting his hips against mine. My hands reach up, finally tangling through his soft dark hair._ _ _ _

____He grunts softly into my shoulder as his pace quickens. I close my eyes again, my mouth open in an unspeakable scream of pleasure as I feel him getting close to his climax. My hands slowly travel down to his back, running my fingers down his spine. He seems to like that, because he suddenly ruts himself harder into me, stopping and groaning as he releases inside me. I bite my lip in bliss, holding him close to me for a couple seconds before he pulls himself out of me. He sits up straight, still panting lightly as I lay there for a moment, my chest heaving as adrenaline surges through me._ _ _ _

____He pulls the condom off and zips his pants back up as I reach down, still in a bit of a daze, and pull myself back together. I sit up shakily once I’m done and cross my arms over my chest, my eyes falling closed again as he turns and sits facing away from me._ _ _ _

____“I’m sorry,” he says after a moment. He sounds about as breathless as I feel. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to...” I try to answer him, but my voice takes some time to start working again._ _ _ _

____“Yeah,” I say, still trying to comprehend the fact that I just lost my virginity less than two minutes ago. “Me either.” We remain silent for the next few minutes. I haven’t the slightest idea what’s going through his head, but there’s about a million things going through mine. The idea that I’m no longer a virgin, that I just felt so turned on that it almost hurt, and the realization that I’ve been falling in love with this man for a long time and didn’t even realize it until a couple minutes ago._ _ _ _

____He finally turns his head slightly to look back at me. He looks maybe a bit unsure, but still with the same gaze he’s been giving me for the past few weeks. I meet his gaze, a small smile forming on my lips._ _ _ _

____“Does this mean we’re going to be together now?” I ask. He grins, looking almost surprised at my question. But he still looks nonetheless overjoyed._ _ _ _

____“I thought you’d never ask,” he replies in relief._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first smut scene, so sorry if it's a little awkward!


	20. Chapter 20

Rey P.O.V.

“So, we need to go shopping for the party,” Poe says as we sit at the table in the smaller workroom organizing a bunch of donations. 

“Yeah, we don’t have any suits,” Finn says, going through the tax papers. “We need to look like we own the place this year.”

“Hell yes, we’re gonna be the best looking trio there,” Poe agrees. They’re both silent for a moment until Poe looks over at me. “Everything ok?”

“Hm?” I ask, snapping out of my daze and looking up at him nonchalantly. He looks at me pointedly. I look down at the papers in front of me and realize I had just been sitting here, staring at the same paper for a few minutes. Thinking about my boyfriend. A jolt of excitement goes through me. _I have a boyfriend… ___

__“You look distracted,” Poe points out._ _

__“Oh… yeah, I’m sorry,” I say, unable to help myself from glancing out the open door into the hallway. “Do you guys think it’d be better to work in the breakroom?”_ _

__“No, it’s easier to keep everything in here,” Finn answers. “Now seriously, when are we going shopping?”_ _

__“Oh… right,” I say, bringing myself back into the conversation. “The party. Yeah, I mean, whenever you guys want to go, it’s fine with me. I know I need a new dress.”_ _

__Every year at the beginning of June, First Order holds a little self celebratory party. There’s a huge warehouse in the back of the building, down underground, that gets turned into a huge ballroom-like arena. We basically spend the night celebrating all our hard work. There’s a nice dinner and cake and punch, so it’s pretty fun. There’s even dancing. Another buzz of eagerness goes through me when I realize I could be one of the people showing up with their boyfriend on their arm. If I ever get the courage to tell anyone Kylo and I are together._ _

__No, I haven’t even told Poe or Finn about Kylo and I. I will eventually, but everything’s just been moving so fast, including the recent and exhilarating loss of my virginity, that I just wanted to take a breather before dropping another bomb on my life. I know Finn and Poe will be ok with it eventually, but it will certainly be a hard and confusing shock. Maybe that makes me a coward, but honestly, I’m kind of hoping Finn or Poe will just figure it out before I’m able to tell them._ _

__“We’ll go this weekend, I guess,” Poe decides. “Unless you’re busy again, Rey.” I look over at him, my eyes widening in confusion and surprise. But he just continues doing what he’s doing._ _

__“Um, no, that should be fine,” I reply. “Saturday morning?”_ _

__“Yeah, that works,” Finn says. “Let’s go to the downtown mall, they have that Layla’s shop we always find stuff at.”_ _

__“How do you guys still not have all the other suits you used for all the parties before?” I ask, looking between the two of them._ _

__“Those suits were so last year,” Poe says dramatically, waving his hand. “We need to stay current, Rey.” I roll my eyes, smiling._ _

__“You are way too high maintenance. Finn, I don’t know how you put up with him.”_ _

__“Me either, but somehow, I’ve been doing it all these years. It’s becoming less and less noticeable. He’s either getting better, or I’m becoming more insane by the minute.” He shakes his head, grinning. “You’ll see soon enough when you get a man, Rey. It’s a lot of work.”_ _

__“Yeah, but the payoff’s not half bad, right?” Poe asks, grinning hopefully over at his boyfriend. Finn blushes, keeping his gaze down at his work. My face begins to turn a bit pink as well, but for entirely different reasons._ _

__

__Kylo P.O.V._ _

__Monday has been going by agonizingly slow, and that’s saying something. Hux and all his bullshit just seems to be getting on my nerves even more than usual, and the workload seems to be slightly larger than usual. However, I now have something that can calm my infuriated thoughts that I didn’t have before._ _

I haven’t spent more than five minutes without Rey crossing my mind ever since yesterday. Rey. In fact, it’s taking all my strength to stay at this damn desk instead of going over down her hall to see what she’s doing. _Rey Kenobi is my girlfriend now. _I can’t even remember the last time I had a girlfriend. It’s had to have been at least ten years.__

Yesterday was probably the best day of my life. It’s been some time since I’ve had sex, but it’s never once been like that before. Sure, it was quick and maybe not the most romantic or exciting circumstances, but Force, did it feel amazing. I used to think people who said sex is better when you really care about the person were bullshitting, but I think they might be onto something. Because I’ve never felt so great being intimate with someone in my entire life. Force, she was so beautiful, and soft, and nervous, and _tight…_

________I grip onto my desk, distracted from the work I’m supposed to be doing again by my hardening member as I remember how it felt to have her small, quivering body underneath me as she ran her hands through my hair…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Shit, I have to chill out _I think, feeling the familiar ache between my legs. I already had to jerk off in the shower last night a couple hours after she left._ I’m never going to be able to get this woman out of my head._

__

__

_________I don’t like throwing around the word love too much. I guess there’s the natural love you would feel for your family members. But I don’t say it aloud to often. I mean, I would definitely care a lot if anything happened to my parents or Uncle Luke. But I can’t remember a time I told any of them that I loved them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Of course I never had a girlfriend or anything I really loved. None of them cared too deeply about me either, so that made it easy. According to Luke, it’s because I’m uncomfortable with the whole concept of letting people close enough to me to allow myself to admit that I love them. Maybe it’s because I see love as a weakness. I don’t know. All I do know, is that I found myself uncontrollably attracted to Rey. And I thought that was all it was. But it’s much more than that. All I want to do is be around her. Her energy, her voice, her smile… everything about her makes me forget about anything that’s pissing me off or stressing me out. Because when I’m with her, it feels like there’s no reason to be angry at anything. I don’t know if that’s love or not, but it sure does make me feel better than I have in a long time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I grab all of my things and rush down the hallway. For once, I’m not the last one here, but it’s still late. Rose and Brandi have to stay and finish up some reports. I wave goodbye to them when I see them in the breakroom working while sharing the last of the garlic bread that was put out for us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I push the button for the lobby once I arrive at the elevator, and quickly look through my purse to make sure I grabbed everything I needed. I’m not staying late, but I still have some work to go through when I get home. And I was going to try to get some extra studying in for anthropology because I’ve been a bit behind ever since I missed that one class the other week. But it’s only seven thirty, so I should have enough time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The elevator doors open and I step inside, putting everything in my purse back in order. I’m not even paying attention enough to the person who steps into the elevator after me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________As soon as the doors close and I look up, Kylo’s arms pull me close to him, his hand reaches up to cup the back of my head as his lips devour mine. I kiss him back after jumping in surprise at first. My purse clatters to the floor as my hands reach up to caress through his soft hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I couldn’t stop thinking about you all fucking day,” he whispers to me as his lips trail down my cheek to my neck. I shudder, feeling his soft, yet greedy kisses planted all down the side of my face and across my collarbone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m glad I made such an impression,” I laugh quietly. I gasp when I feel his tongue trailing across my neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I want to take you back to my place tonight,” he says, both of his hands moving to my waist and slowly slipping up under my shirt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I can’t,” I laugh, already breathless as his tongue caresses up the side of my neck and his warm lips brush against my earlobe. “I have a bunch of work to do and I… I have to study because I’m behind in my class… and I… do you think there are cameras in these elevators?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Fine, then let's go to your place,” he says, his hands dragging slowly up my bare sides and making me shiver._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No!” I giggle. “I have to get some rest, if you come over, I’ll never get anything done and I’ll be up all night.” The elevator reaches the lobby and the doors roll open. We pull away from each other, however reluctantly, and I quickly straighten myself out before stepping out onto the white tiled floor, walking briskly toward the front door, not waiting for Kylo._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He walks up behind me, his fingers curling around my wrist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well then when can I see you again?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You’ll see me tomorrow,” I answer, approaching the front door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You know what I mean,” he counters, pulling the door open for me. I step outside and he releases my wrist, but follows closely behind me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t know, Kylo,” I say, beginning to walk across the street toward the parking garage, pretending as if I’m distracted, but secretly loving how aggravated I’m making him. “Maybe after work on Friday, if I don’t have to stay late.” I pause, grinning to myself. “Or if I don’t want to hang out with Finn and Poe after work.” We reach the half deserted parking garage, and Kylo suddenly grabs my arms and roughly spins me around to face him. I bite my lip, trying to hold in my laughter as I look up at him innocently. He shakes his head at me, keeping me locked in his firm grip._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You just want to drive me crazy, don’t you?”________

 _ _ _I smile, finally giving into him. I reach up and pull him closer to me to kiss him again._ _ _

________“I love you, but I have to go now,” I tell him, pulling away. He keeps ahold of me a moment longer before dropping his hands from my arms. I step back, looking at him for a few more seconds before turning and heading towards my car. I feel him watching me the whole way._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I turn off the tv and pack away all my school things at about ten thirty. Luckily, I was able to get everything I wanted to do done. I put all my things on the counter, ready for tomorrow, then turn off the light and head to bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I quickly shut the window above my bed, shivering from the combination of the chilly outside air and my still slightly wet hair from my shower. I get cold very easily, but I still keep the windows open for as long as I can stand it, because it can get incredibly stuffy up in this apartment with it being so small._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I flop into bed, feeling more wide awake than usual. Most of the time, I’m able to go right to sleep since I get up so early in the morning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I relax into the warm sheets of the bed, staring up at the ceiling and feeling every single inch of myself touching some part of the bed. Kylo’s dark hair and intense eyes appear in my mind. I reach my arms across my chest and hesitantly run my hands along my bare waist, remembering how he touched me there. I can’t help smiling as I push my hands up higher and stroke across my bra-less chest. I breathe harder, shutting my eyes as my fingers brush across my hardening nipples, remembering how Kylo’s body felt like on top of me, his soft hair touching my face, his eyes staring intently down at me. My thighs rub together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I quickly yank my shorts off, feeling the familiar heat between my legs. I reach under my underwear, stroking down my heated sex. I think of Kylo’s lips hungrily colliding with mine, his tongue tasting my mouth. I gasp as I rub my clit, and my other hand quickly reaches up to cover my mouth. I continue caressing my now throbbing clit, remembering the sensation of having Kylo’s body crushing down against mine, his hands firmly holding my wrists, his hips grinding into me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I make some kind of sound between a moan and a gasp, biting down on my hand and rolling over onto my side as my orgasm hits, relieving the pulsing itch that was beginning to spread through my sex. I began to breathe slowly again, the warm afterglow of post orgasmic bliss beginning to lull over me. I laugh lightly into my pillow. _I certainly haven’t done that in a while._

____________I roll back over onto my back, throwing the covers off me a little. I can’t help thinking what it would be like to have Kylo touch me like that. The thought almost gets me worked up again, so I force it out of my mind and try to go to sleep. I’m perfectly sweaty now, and could probably stand to even have the window open again for a little bit. I bite my lip, grinning to myself as I feel my face still heating up from my orgasm. Well, at least I’ll be able to go to sleep now. If I remember correctly, doing this usually wears me out pretty thoroughly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	21. Chapter 21

Rey P.O.V.

I casually push through the various dresses on the rack, while Finn peruses the other side. Who knows where Poe ran off to, but he’s probably looking for shoes or accessories for me to wear. They had already gotten everything they needed, so now we’re shopping for me. And sometimes, I think Finn and Poe have more fun shopping for me than they do for themselves. I’ve never been all too knowledgeable about fashion, so I usually let them point me in the right direction. 

I’ve been avoiding the topic all day, but I know it’s time to tell them. They’re my best friends, and I’m tired of keeping Kylo in the dark as if he were some horrible secret. I want to at least be able to be with my boyfriend at the party this Friday. I grin to myself, feeling butterflies in my stomach. _Boyfriend… ___

__“I think you’d do better at Macy’s,” I hear Poe calling out as he strolls back over to us. “I’m not seeing anything here that’s really your style.”_ _

__“Yeah, we always find cute stuff for you at Macy’s,” Finn agrees._ _

__“Maybe we should take a little break,” I suggest, glancing down at my phone. “It’s past noon.”_ _

__“Fuck yeah, let’s eat,” Poe decides. “I can smell the churros from here.”_ _

__“Hey, let’s get blizzards from the DQ and see if it really stays in when you flip it over,” Finn says, stepping around the racks and joining us as we head towards the door._ _

__“Will they give you another one if it spills out?” I inquire curiously._ _

__“They’d better,” Poe answers as we step out of Forever 21. “Cause if I find out they lied in their commercials, I’m gonna blow a gasket.”_ _

__

__We end up getting corn dogs and french fries once we get to the food court. After we’ve ordered them, we go get our blizzards. The attendant flips each one over in her hand before giving them to us, and everything stays in perfectly, much to our satisfaction. We bring our meals over to an empty table, ready to dig in._ _

__“Don’t you think school cafeterias should be more like this?” Finn asks, looking around at the large food court._ _

__“Fuck that, the breakroom at work should be more like this,” Poe answers, already halfway through his small pile of fries._ _

__“Yeah, put that budget to better use,” I agree mockingly. Poe nods in approval and Finn shakes his head, grinning._ _

I take a long sip form my blizzard, remembering how Kylo told me he hates ice cream. _What an idiot. How could anyone want to miss out on this?_

“So… I have something to tell you guys,” I start awkwardly. They both look up at me, wide eyed with curiosity. I twirl my straw through my blizzard, keeping my gaze focused on the smooth, creamy white texture turning slowly into a light tint of brown from the melting chocolate shavings. _Here goes nothing. _“I have a boyfriend.”__

___________It’s quiet for a moment before Poe gasps with laughter and Finn slowly brings a hand to his mouth, gazing at me with a mixture of surprise and what I think might be pride._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well holy shit, Reyzy!” Poe exclaims, grabbing my hand on the table. “It took you long enough!”_ _ _ _ _ _

“You…. a _boyfriend? _” Finn questions, squinting at me in astonishment. I laugh, nodding earnestly. Finn just shakes his head at me. “Well… I… who is he?!” I bite my lip. “Is he form the University?”__

__________“No,” I answer slowly. “You… have already met him, actually.” At this point, I can tell Poe knows, but Finn continues to stare at me intently, meaning he has no clue, or he does and he’s hoping he’s wrong. “It’s Kylo. I’m seeing Kylo.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Poe slowly leans back in his seat, grinning and looking at Finn to see his reaction. Finn stares at me, his gaze turning concerned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“But… you… _him? _” he stutters.__

____________“Look, I know it’s weird,” I acknowledge, “but I honestly don’t know how it happened either.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I knew it all along,” Poe boasts, sitting up and waving his hand dismissively. Finn turns to him, flabbergasted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ _How? _” he asks, despairingly.__

______________“Come on, Finn, when you’ve been in as many relationships as I have, you develop an eye for connections between fellow human beings. Anytime Rey and Kylo were in a damn room together, they couldn’t even attempt to ignore one another.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Because they were always arguing!” Finn exclaims. Poe shakes his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Fiery chemistry can be at its best when it’s hateful. And you can’t deny Kylo and Rey are like fire and gasoline in that respect. It’s a very Pride and Prejudice type of relationship.” I didn’t realize Poe knew so much about, what I thought, was my secret relationship._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“And you just kept all these thoughts to yourself over the twelve months you’ve viewed these exchanges?” Finn asks doubtfully._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I hinted at it to you a few times,” Poe continues, nodding to me. “I didn’t want to push it though. I wanted to see where you two would take it on your own.” I blush, grinning down at the table bashfully. “And apparently, not only was that a smart decision, but my theory was correct. Yet again.” He waves his corn dog in the air triumphantly before taking a bite. Finn runs a hand over his hair, still looking like he’s trying to process everything._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“If that’s the case, then I think you missed your calling, Poe,” I say teasingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yeah,” Finn chuckles. “Poe Dameron: Matchmaker.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I appreciate that,” Poe accepts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Well, I have something else to tell you guys that will probably shock you even more,” I prepare them. Poe nearly jumps out of his seat and Finn has another look of startled worry plastered over his face. I lower my voice, leaning my elbow on the table and covering part of my face, feeling more than slightly embarrassed. “I’m not a virgin anymore.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________This time, it’s silent for a little while longer. From the looks of it, not even Poe saw this one coming. Finn looks as if he might not even believe me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Well… I can honestly say I didn’t expect to hear those words from you for at least another ten years,” Poe admits._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Holy shit, Rey,” Finn says quietly, his tone more serious. “I mean… are you ok? Were you scared? What happened?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I was a little scared at first I guess… but it all happened so fast. I didn’t have time to really think about being freaked out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Fast?” Finn asks in confusion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“What do you mean?” Poe questions. “Ok, start form the beginning.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Well, I was at his house… and we were just… I don’t know, kind of goofing around I guess-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh shit!” Poe laughs in disbelief. “You had ‘goofing around sex’!” It was less of a question and more of a statement of confirmation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yes, if that’s what you call it,” I answer. He continues laughing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yes, trust me, I know it well. Also, didn’t expect that from you at all,” he guffaws._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“It was before we were officially together, too,” I add, beginning to laugh a bit myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Damn, who are you?” Poe asks, shaking his head in amazement. “I remember a time when Rey Kenobi was worried she’d die a virgin.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Wait, your first time was ‘goofing around sex’?” Finn asks with concern. I nod slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Is… that bad?” I ask tentatively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Well… no, not exactly, but…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“He just means, goofing around sex doesn’t really give you the full experience,” Poe answers for Finn. “I mean, it’s fun and all. But it only lasts a minute at most. Romantic sex should really be your first experience. But hey, whatever floats your boat.” He laughs at the unintentional innuendo. “Trust me Rey, romantic sex will blow your mind.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Are you alright though?” Finn asks, reaching out to touch my arm. I look over at him and see the same look of the young boy who would always try to comfort me back in elementary school whenever Unkar Plutt had put me through a hell-filled night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I am,” I answer honestly. “It was weird and everything but… I liked it,” I finish, blushing furiously. He grins warmly at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Well, this is so fucking fantastic,” Poe says excitingly. “Now we really have to find something hot for you to wear for the party. He’s going, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Of course,” I answer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Great Force, I’m so fucking happy you finally have a man. Now, we can all go on double dates.” I laugh out loud, already seeing what Kylo’s reaction to that idea would be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I arrive at the office at around seven pm. There are a few other people getting here when I am, I guess other people who didn’t really want to come at five and stay for the whole thing. I never understood why they had to have this party every year. I guess the thing that gets everyone so excited is that we all get to get off work at three so they can set up for the party. I don’t know about everyone else, but all that gets me is a bunch of unfinished work that piles up for me to do over the weekend. What are we even supposed to be celebrating? How nice we can all dress up? Hell, I just wore the same suit I wore last year. The only reason I come to this thing is because I’m the head of my department and it would probably look shitty if I didn't show up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________But this year, I have an entirely new reason for showing up to this rather exaggerated event. Luckily, Rey told me she wasn’t able to show up until around seven as well, so instead of taking my usual time waiting as long as I can until I half to show up, I make sure I’m here at seven on the dot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I go to the back of the building, where the elevator goes to the warehouse that’s underneath the office. I run my hand over my hair, wondering if I look ok. _Force, when was the last time I ever worried about that? _I can’t remember ever seeing Rey at this thing before. I guess because I was never really looking for her. And it does get pretty crowded. How am I going to find her tonight? I grin to myself, a strange surge of excitement running through me._ I’ll be able to find her._

__________________I think about all the couples I used to see at this party, dancing together, embracing and kissing when they finally meet with each other, or holding each other close while they enter the room. It’s weird to think that I have someone to do that with now. And it’s Rey. My beautiful little scavenger girl._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I hear the muffled sound of the loud booming music before the elevator doors even open. I am greeted with a dimly lit room filled to the brim with every person dressed up in suits or short gowns._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I step out of the elevator and into the mess of unrecognizable fellow employees. I wonder if Hux is here. I saw him here once, but of course, we try to avoid each other whenever we don’t have to work together. It’s always funny to see his snooty little face amongst a crowd of partying idiots though._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________There is a small dance floor in the middle of the room and hundreds of small tables surrounding the warehouse where you can sit with a group of people. I assume that’s where Rey and her friends are. She told me on Monday that she had told them about us and is ready to let everyone know, so thank the Force I can finally kiss her whenever I feel like it without having to find a place where no one can see us. I’d previously been meeting up with her in the small hallway leading to the bathrooms on our floor since the lights on the ceiling don’t reach down there and we can quickly hide in the bathroom in case anyone came down there. Even all this week, after she’d told me her friends know, she still avoided me. For some reason, she’s really shy or scared about all of this. I just assumed she must have had a boyfriend before, maybe in high school or something, but I’m starting to think maybe this really is new to her. I just hope the first time we had sex wasn’t her first time, because then I’d feel like a real asshole. That shouldn’t have even been the first time _we _had sex.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I casually walk through the crowd of people, looking around and listening for her familiar voice. I’m starting to think maybe I should text her, when my eyes snap over to three people standing over by the food table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________She’s standing, talking with Finn, her arms crossed her her chest. A deep hot plum colored dress hugs tightly around her torso, pooling out around her legs and hanging just above her knees. The dress is showered with millions of glittering sequins of all different shaped and sizes, making her nearly blinding under the lights of the warehouse. Anytime she moves, even an inch, the entire dress swims with the dazzling sequins. Shiny silver heels flash on her feet, and her smooth, shiny looking brown hair is pulled back into a bun lined with a glimmering hot pink hair clip that matches her dress. Her lips are covered with smooth red lipstick, but that’s the only prominent makeup she wears, leaving the rest of her natural beauty to show._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I never thought anything could look so beautiful. I don’t have to look at a single other person in the room to know that she is the most alluring woman in the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I step forward, brushing past the busy crowd of people, unable to get to her fast enough, overjoyed beyond belief that the most elegant looking woman here is mine. I know I’m not going to be able to stop myself once I get to her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________She turns her head, her eyes landing on me as I approach her. She turns toward me as I arrive in front of her, looking me over with a warm smile spreading over her face. Finn is staring at us, and I can see Poe has turned to look at us as well, but I don’t care who’s looking. In fact, I hope everyone is watching._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Before she can say a word, I reach out and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her against me. My lips connect firmly with hers as my other hand reaches up to cup the back of her neck. She’s startled at first and I wonder if she’ll push me away. But she soon leans harder into the kiss, both her arms wrapping around my waist holding me tightly against her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I’m finally able to pull Rey off the dance floor and away from the crowd after it’s been nearly two hours. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of dancing or parties, or people for that matter, somehow Rey has turned this into the best party this company has ever held. But I have to get her alone for just a few minutes at least._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________We get into the elevator, and to my surprise, she nearly jumps on top of me, her arms wrapped around my neck and her lips colliding onto mine. My back slams against the side of the elevator as I hold her against me, my hands trailing down past the end her dress, grabbing ahold of it and slowly lifting it up, the tips of my fingers trailing over the back of her thighs. She laughs in surprise and my tongue plunges into her open mouth, devouring every inch of her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The doors open and she pulls away from me, laughing as she grabs ahold of my hand and pulls me out into the lobby. We go towards one of the back doors and out to the cold night air. I hold her up against the wall, placing my arm over her head and leaning up against the wall over her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Needed a little break, huh?” she asks, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I just needed to get away from all those people,” I say, my free hand trailing slowly up her bare arm. “I wanted to talk to you without having to scream out over the music and a bunch of other people talking.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Oh, is that it?” she asks, raising her eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Mm hm,” I murmur, kissing down the side of her face to her neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Are you sure it’s just talking you have on your mind?” she asks, smiling as my hand latches onto her hip. “You know, after the little show you put on in there, I’m pretty sure the entire building knows we’re together, so we don’t have to be so secretive anymore.” I pull away from her, but still continue to hover over her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Have you ever had a boyfriend before?” I ask her curiously. Her eyes widen a bit in surprise, obviously not expecting that question._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“No,” she answers sheepishly. “Is it that obvious?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Are you serious?” I ask in disbelief. “Not one guy has ever asked you out?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“A guy asked me out after I graduated high school,” she says, thoughtfully. “And one guy asked me out when I first started working here. But I said no to both.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So am I lucky number three or something?” I grin. “Or is it different because, technically, _you _asked_ me _to be your boyfriend.”__

______________________“Yes, it is different because I asked you,” she replies, smiling. “I used to not want to have a boyfriend… ever. I thought it would be too stressful and I’d be so awkward and uncomfortable and that we would just break up in a few weeks anyway.” She shrugs, looking down at the ground. “But I guess I just didn’t meet the right guy yet.” She looks up, as if just realizing something. “But I actually knew you for a long time, so I guess I did meet the right guy and I didn’t know it yet.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Well, in a way, that’s a good thing,” I tell her. “It gave us time to get to know each other.” I go back to softly kissing her neck, grazing my teeth along her soft skin as I travel up to her ear, making her shudder, which turns me on even more. “Now I know all the things that make you irritated,” I whisper, my hand curling around her shoulder and finding the strap to her dress. I grasp onto it, pulling it down over her shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Kylo!” she laughs, her hand snatching up the strap out of my grasp. “I’m not wearing a bra under this!” _Holy shit._

________________________“All the more reason to take it off,” I say, reaching for the strap again. She giggles, swatting my hand away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“What am I going to do with you?” she wonders aloud as I pull away to look down at her again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I don’t know what you’re going to do with me, but I know what I’m going to do with you, little scavenger.” She shrieks and laughs as I grip under her thighs and lift her off her feet. She wraps her legs around my waist and leans down to kiss my waiting lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________It takes us a while before deciding we should probably go back inside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	22. Chapter 22

Rey P.O.V.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” I plead, grabbing ahold of Kylo’s hand and dragging him towards the door of the restaurant. He looks up at the small building, then back at me with disillusion. 

“You know, I figured our first date would be just the two of us,” he says, his tone doubtful. We stop in front of the door. “Alone,” he adds pointedly. 

“Well, this isn’t a date,” I clarify, “it’s a gathering.”

“Explain to me how this is not some kind of corny double date.”

“I’ve gone out with Finn and Poe thousands of times. Just because they’re together doesn’t mean I was tagging along on a date.” Kylo raises his eyebrows. “This is just four friends hanging out together. It’s Applebees, it’s not exactly a romantic eatery, Kylo.” I reach out and open the door. “Now get your ass in here and stop whining.” I can tell he’s grinning as I turn and he follows me inside.

“What are we even supposed to talk about?” he asks as I scan the semi crowded restaurant for Finn and Poe.

“I don’t know, but we’d better figure it out,” I reply, spotting them and heading over. “Hey,” I greet them, sliding into the unoccupied side of the small booth. 

“Hey, we ordered the beet salad for you, I hope you don’t mind,” Poe chides as Kylo scoots in next to me.

“Oh really?” I mock. “Are we just now deciding to go healthy?” 

“Yep,” Finn nods. “From here on out, it’s nothing but healthy greens for us.” I reach over to jokingly shove him, and he tries to duck out of the way, but the constrictions of the small booth don’t allow him much room for an escape. 

Poe shakes his head, as if he were any more mature than us, and then turns to look at Kylo.

“So,” he begins. _Oh no. _“You and Rey. Who would have known?”__

__“Well apparently you,” I answer._ _

__“Yeah,” Finn agrees. “Mr. Smartass. Mr. Million Dollar Matchmaker.”_ _

__“What are you talking about?” Kylo asks as I laugh._ _

__“Well now, everyone has their panties in a twist because I knew you two were never going to be able to resist each other,” Poe gloats, leaning back in his seat. Kylo’s eyes lower in confusion._ _

__“What?” he questions._ _

__“Yes, apparently, we were that obvious,” I tell him as a waitress comes to take our drink orders. Finn and I order our usual oreo cookie shakes, Kylo orders green iced tea, and Poe orders some kind of energy drink. As if he needs it._ _

__“So, it’s summer my dudes,” Poe says, bringing his hands down on the table. “What’re we doing?”_ _

__“We should go back to Six Flags,” I say. “I love standing in line with Finn before all the rides.” Poe laughs and Kylo looks at all of us like we’re nuts._ _

__“Hey, look guys, it’s a little nerve wracking when you haven’t been on a damn roller coaster for over a year, and you see a hundred foot structure with a cart swinging you upside down and sideways at a hundred miles per hour-”_ _

__“Did you know most of those rides only go between sixty and sixty five miles per hour?” I inform him. Poe bursts out laughing and even Kylo chuckles at the exasperated look Finn gives me. “Seriously, you’ve got to come with us sometime,” I say, looking at Kylo and touching his arm. “Finn standing in line, watching the ride go by one hundred and fifty feet above us-”_ _

__“How do you know all these random exact facts about the rides at Six Flags?” Finn asks._ _

__“... is the funniest thing you will ever see,” I finish. “He spends the first half talking to himself about how impractical it is to be scared of a roller coaster, and the other half trying to convince us we should go do something else.”_ _

__“Yeah, until we actually get him on the ride,” Poe adds, “then he’s running right back around to get in line again.”_ _

__“Until we bring him to an even faster one and we go through the same process again,” I say._ _

__“Oh, ok, laugh it up everyone,” Finn allows, shaking his head._ _

__“That does sound like it could be fairly entertaining,” Kylo smirks._ _

“Oh, it’s _vastly _entertaining,” Poe assures him. He looks over at Finn and throws his arm around him. “And that’s why I love you. You keep me in stitches.” Finn blushes, smiling to himself.__

______“I assume you have no trouble on any of these rides?” Kylo asks, turning to look at me. I quickly shake my head._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Oh no, I love them. They give me such a rush.”_ _ _ _

____“Hell yeah,” Poe concurs._ _ _ _

____“What about you?” I ask Kylo. “I have a hard time picturing the mighty Kylo Ren screaming his head off on an upside down roller coaster.”_ _ _ _

____“It’s definitely been a while since I’ve gone to any of those places,” he admits. The waitress arrives with our drinks._ _ _ _

____“When was the last time you went?” I ask, grabbing a spoon and dipping into the whipped cream on my oreo shake._ _ _ _

____“Probably when I was thirteen or fourteen.”_ _ _ _

____“What?!” the three of us gasp simultaneously, giving him the same look of shock and outrage. He looks around at the three of us, wondering what in the world could be wrong with that._ _ _ _

____“I don’t even let three years go by before we go again,” Poe says, still staring wide eyed at Kylo._ _ _ _

____“It’s not really my thing,” Kylo replies._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, well, if you’re going to be my boyfriend, it has to be your thing,” I tell him. He turns to look down at me._ _ _ _

____“Oh, is that the deal breaker?” he asks, grinning slightly. I nod._ _ _ _

____“You figured me out weeks ago, remember?” I remind him. “My number one mission is funning you up. And apparently that’s going to include taking you to Six Flags or Disneyland.”_ _ _ _

____“Disneyland!” Finn agrees. “There’s no way you can be grumpy in the happiest place on Earth!”_ _ _ _

____“Oh, I don’t know,” Kylo supposes. “You’d be surprised.” I snicker, covering my mouth with my hand._ _ _ _

____“Well, I have no doubt of that,” Finn replies, laughing as well. Looking over at Kylo, I can tell he wants to laugh too._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _

____We all exit the restaurant, Rey and Finn talking and giggling about something in front of us, Poe following behind them, and me bringing up the rear. I guess that didn’t go as bad as I previously guessed it would. Rey’s friends really aren’t that annoying. I let the door close behind me and I see Poe hanging back close to the door._ _ _ _

____“We need to find our next movie to go see,” I hear Rey saying._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, what’s coming out next?” Finn asks. Rey takes out her phone. “And this time your boyfriend has to come with us.”_ _ _ _

____“I agree,” Rey replies, scrolling through something on her phone. “Ok, here’s everything that’s coming out next month.”_ _ _ _

“Kylo, can I talk to you for a minute?” I turn slowly back around to see Poe, an unusual expression on his face. I nod, unsurely, and follow him as he steps a few feet away from Finn and Rey. I wait for him to start, not really knowing where this is going. He gives a small smile, looking off behind me. “I can see that you really like Rey,” he begins. _Like? _I say nothing, waiting for him to continue. He looks straight back at me. “And she really likes you as well. You two definitely have a strong connection.”__

________“You could say that,” I finally respond. He nods, and the odd expression comes back over his face. It’s not the grinning, loud and proud aura he normally gives off. Now he seems startlingly unhumorous._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“I assume you know she’s never had a boyfriend before,” he continues, looking at me carefully._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, she told me,” I answer him._ _ _ _ _ _

“Well then you know she’s not really used to all of this.” I wait for him to continue, still unsure of where he’s going with all of this. “I’ve known Rey for a real long time. Finn’s known her even longer. She’s been through some really rough shit.” My gaze turns questioning. _What kind of rough shit? _“She’s never had any family. She’s never had parents.” My eyes lower as my breathing slows, this information sinking in. “Which means she doesn’t have a father.” My gaze snaps back up to him. “She’s only had us her entire life. She’s like a sister to me.” I nod, without really knowing I am, somehow understanding him. “She’s probably the kindest woman I’ve ever known, and I’m sure you’ll agree.” His voice lowers a little, the seriousness sinking back in. “And I don’t want to hear about anything happening to her. I know you love her and I probably don’t need to be telling you this, but there’s no one else to do it, so I will. It’s really nothing personal, I actually kind of like you. And you seem to make her really happy. But if you do anything to hurt her, I’ll beat the shit out of you. And Finn will probably kill you.”__

__________I’ve never taken well to threats in my life before, but I’m not surprised by Poe’s. I mean, a part of me is a little pissed that he would think I’d ever do anything to hurt Rey, but I understand where he’s coming from. And I appreciate it. He really does know her. And he’s just watching out for her. It’s not me he’s worried about, it’s anyone who would want to get close to her. So even though this should piss me off, I respect him for it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I get it,” I assure him, nodding. The serious look slowly fades from his face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Good. Really, I don’t want anything weird to be between us. Rey really cares about you, and like I said, I think you’re a good guy. Just wanted to make sure we’re clear.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We are,” I promise. He nods, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hey you guys!” Rey calls over to us as we walk back over. “We’re going to go see the new Venom movie when it comes out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, fuck yeah, I forgot about that!” Poe exclaims. “Shit, that’s gonna be badass.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“August fifth it’s coming out,” Finn informs us. “That’s kind of a while down the road, but everyone keep your calendars clear.” He looks up to me. “You down, Kylo?” I briefly realize this is the first time he’s given me a completely normal look that isn’t rounded with suspicion or doubt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sure,” I answer. “I was planning on going to see it anyway. Looks good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, it better be,” Rey asserts, “we’ve been waiting for it for years now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“True that,” Finn answers. _Yup. If they fuck up this movie, I know I’ll be pretty pissied. ___


	23. Chapter 23

Kylo P.O.V.

I rub my hand against my forehead, closing my eyes in an attempt to shut out the aggravating screech of Hux’ voice. It seems like he gets worse and worse every week, and this week has been absolute hell. He didn’t even let up when I walked away this time, he just followed me right into the private office.

“Snoke insists that you speak with him sometime today, probably to reprimand you for not listening to his direct orders _yet again _.” I glance up at the clock on the back wall. Five thirty. Rey’s probably still here, though she usually leaves a little early on Fridays. Of course, early for her is eight pm. “You know, if you continue to deliberately go behind my back and act as if you’re the only one running this department, I will go to the Board and request that you be removed from this position.” I’ve heard that threat so many times, I’m beginning to memorize it and say it along with him in my head._ I wonder what Rey’s doing right now. Is she working with someone? Is she alone? Is she thinking about getting out of here as soon as she can, like I am? Is she thinking about me? ___

____The door opens and Phasma walks into the office._ _ _ _

____“All units in Muunilinst have reported in,” she announces in her usual efficient tone. “All scouts are in place and everything looks good on the east and west ends.”_ _ _ _

____“Good,” I nod. “Make sure they leave lookouts at each of the posts at all times until further notice. If everything remains quiet, they should be good to go within five days.”_ _ _ _

____“Now wait just a minute!” Hux interrupts, stepping in between us like a child begging for attention. “This is exactly what I mean, Ren, you just give out orders without even consulting me, or Snoke!”_ _ _ _

____“Hux, I don’t need to call up you or Snoke before I make every single decision,” I answer him boredly. “If you had your way, I’d be asking Snoke permission before I leave everyday.”____

___Phasma stands at the door, leaning her hip out comfortably and placing her hands on her hips, expecting to be entertained. Everyone on the damn floor knows about me and Hux’s rivalry and are always hoping to catch one of our debacles, as if it were some funny tv show episode. But Phasma usually watches us as if she were simply spectating an interesting sport._ _ _

____“If you were able to see past your pride enough to make clear decisions and realize that we’re dealing with actual people and not a bunch of robot soldiers ready to be at your disposal, then I’d consider consulting with you before doing anything.” I grab my phone off the table, looking down to see if Rey texted me. It’s Friday night. We should do something._ _ _ _

I grit my teeth together as Hux’s voice gratefully fades into the background, knowing exactly what I’d like to do with Rey tonight. Actually, what I’ve wanted to do for a while. We’ve been seeing each other for a little over a month now, and the most we’ve been able to do is makeout. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic. I never knew I could care about anyone so much and feel so incredible by just touching any part of her. But I want to be even closer with her. I want to make her feel intoxicated and breathless, and not just with some short, instinct-filled sex session that lasts one minute. I want to spend hours worshipping her, feeling her small body against me, holding her and keeping her warm. Stay the night with her in my arms. Wake up with her there next to me. _Fuck. I need to see her. I need to ask her tonight._

“Ren! Are you even listening to anything I’m saying? Or is whatever’s on your _phone _too important?”__

__________“Yes, I’m assuming probably more so than you,” Phasma answers. Hux whips around to face her, probably forgetting she was even still here. “He does have a girlfriend to worry about now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, _that’s _a laugh,” he chuckles sarcastically. “Doesn’t she work in the_ charity _department? How Kylo Ren ever managed to trick some woman into being his girlfriend, I will never know.”__

____________“Now be careful there, Hux,” Phasma warns him. “He may hold himself back from kicking your ass everyday, but if you get too personal, he’ll let you have it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh _please _,” he disregards, looking back at me. I’m just keeping my attention on my phone so I don’t jump on him. “What, does he have to keep tabs on her every second of the day?”__

______________“Well, when you have a significant other, they usually contact you throughout the day to tell you what’s been going on,” Phasma explains. “Or they’ll text you to let you know they want to bang.” My head snaps up to Phasma, totally thrown off guard. I’m pleased to see Hux is too._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“And how would _you _know about that?” Hux asks her.__

________________“Because your mother won’t stop calling my cell twenty four seven,” Phasma spits back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________For the first time in my life, I burst out laughing right in front of Hux and Phasma. The look on Hux’s face is downright priceless, and as for Phasma’s response, I couldn’t have thought of a better one myself. Hux turns beet red, stuttering madly, racking his brain for a comeback, but he won’t find one. I grab onto the desk as I practically keel over laughing. Phasma glances up at me, nodding, before turning and going to carry out my orders. Hux and I are left alone again, and I continue laughing, making steam practically come out of his ears._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Well. I suppose even the most dire days can take a surprisingly pleasant turn._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I roll over onto my side in my bed, staring blankly at the side of the wall. I know it’s Friday night, but I don’t have anything else to do, so I decided to try and catch up on all the sleep I usually miss during the week._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I stayed later at work than I usually do on Fridays, and I had to promise Kylo we’d hang out tomorrow instead of tonight when he texted me because Finn and I had already planned to head down to Endor today and walk through the woods. We’ve done that ever since we were in middle school. In a way, it’s kind of our secret little place we used to feel like we could use to get away from all the bullshit happening around us in our foster homes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I came home late, took a shower, watched The Hitman’s Bodyguard, then went to bed. No, my Friday night rituals are not as exciting as most people’s, but I’ve always loved having alone time, despite how much I love being around my friends. And boyfriend of course. Over a month and I’m still not used to using that term._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I close my eyes, pushing my arm up under my pillow, when I hear something out in the other room. I freeze, my heart rapidly picking up its pace as I hear the very distinct noise of someone fiddling with the door handle. I’m unable to move for a moment, but soon slowly sit up, my eyes staring wide at my open bedroom door. To my immense shock, I hear the handle turning and the front door opening._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Adrenaline kicks in, and I get out of bed and walk quietly to the doorway. I grip the edges of the door frame, and listen. Whoever it is is just standing there. _How would they have been able to get in? Unless…_

__________________“Rey?” I hear him call out, as if he were surprised I wasn’t still up and about. I step out from my bedroom, relief flooding through me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Force Kylo, you scared the shit out of me!” I exclaim, walking out and reaching over to turn on the light over the dining room table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Sorry,” he apologizes, though laughing slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It’s not funny!” I protest. “I thought you were an intruder.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You gave me a key!” he insists, holding it up in his hand. I walk up to him, still mildly angry._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, that doesn’t mean you can walk in whenever you’d like as if it’s your own home! You still need to tell me when you’re coming over.” I stare at him, crossing my arms. “You have a problem with that, don’t you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I just forget,” he explains, though I don’t buy it for a minute. “And I’m afraid you’ll tell me not to come over.” I stare at him exasperatedly for a few more seconds, but can’t help the grin that appears on my face. “What are you doing in bed at ten o’clock on a Friday night anyway?” he questions, as if I had some explaining to do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Because I had nothing else to do,” I reply. He steps forward and wraps me in his arms, leaning in to plant a kiss on my mouth. “Why, did you want to do something?” I ask, my arms hugging around his waist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I just missed you,” he says, his hands trailing up to the back of my shoulders, holding me tighter against him. He kisses me again, deeper this time. My hands wrap tightly around his waist, and I remember I’m not wearing a bra when I feel my chest rub up against his. His hands graze down my back, stopping briefly at my ass, before running down to grip my thighs. He pulls me up and I instinctively wrap my legs around him, my arms moving to grip his shoulders. He walks over and sets me down on the kitchen counter, our lips never breaking contact. “I want to make love to you,” he whispers passionately, his lips trailing down my neck. Blood rushes through me excitedly, heating me up between my legs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You do?” I ask, immediately gritting my teeth at how stupid that sounded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yes,” he answers positively. I breathe faster, suddenly becoming giddy. He takes this as a thumbs up, and suddenly swoops me up off the counter, cradling me in his arms as he carries me into the bedroom. I reach over and turn off the light above the table before we enter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The room is mostly dark, but there’s a little light coming from the streets since I keep the curtains in my bedroom window open. Kylo lays me down on the bed, then sits beside me, leaning over to delicately kiss my forehead then the side of my face. His hands slowly drag up my bare legs until they reach the hem of my short pajama shorts. I start to get a little nervous._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Kylo?” I suddenly ask, a little breathless._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hm?” he asks, nuzzling my ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’ve… I haven’t really… I’ve never done this before so I don’t really know… I don’t know what to do.” He stops, suddenly pulling away to look down at me in confusion. “Well, of course I’ve done it before, with you, but… not like this.” He continues to stare down silently at me, and I start to fear that I did something wrong._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Rey when we had sex…. That was your first time? You were a virgin?” 

I nod slowly, not sure why that particular detail was so important. _He knows I never had a boyfriend before. Why would he think I’ve had sex before? _Now worry starts to spread over his face, as if_ he _did something wrong.__

__“You didn’t… you didn’t bleed,” he points out._ _

_______________________“I broke my hymen when I was ten,” I explain. “I guess that happens sometimes, even if you don’t have sex-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Good lord, Rey,” he says, sitting up, his hands covering his eyes exasperatingly. I shiver slightly at the absence of his touch, then sit up as well._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“What’s wrong?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“What’s wrong is… that shouldn’t have happened!” he answers. “You shouldn't have lost your virginity in a… like _that! _”__

________________________“Why not?” I question. “I had to lose it sometime.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Not like that. Force, I feel like such a fucking asshole.” I scoot closer to him, wrapping my arms around his chest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“You shouldn’t,” I tell him, leaning my chin on his shoulder. “It was _really _good.” He turns and looks down at me. “And I… I want to do this. I want to be with you like this. I’m just kind of nervous is all.” It takes a second, but he finally leans back in to kiss me, his hands running up through my hair. My legs twitch a bit in anticipation as he lays me back down on the bed.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You don’t have to be afraid,” he tells me softly. He kicks off his shoes and socks then kisses my head. “Just relax,” he whispers into my hair, sending chills down my spine, “and tell me if you need me to stop.” I close my eyes, nodding. His warm hands are back at my waist, grabbing onto my shorts and slowly pulling them down my legs. I lift my hips up to allow him to pull them down and soon he yanks them off my ankles. I shudder, opening my eyes to look up at him as he peels off his shirt, tossing it on the ground to join my shorts. _Oh stars…_

____________________________My eyes widen as I take in his large form. His arms are perfectly muscular, outlined in the darkness of the room. His broad chest looks like it was carved by the gods and his torso finishes off his perfectly toned upper body. I am left gaping in shock and hunger at the man staring down at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________He moves on top of me, swinging his leg over and straddling me beneath him. He leans down to kiss me again, this time his lips planting kisses down my throat. I tremble underneath him when I feel his tongue graze along my chest. His lips go back to my mouth, and he reaches his hand down to slowly stroke up and down the side of my torso. I moan softly and his tongue sweeps past my lips as my mouth opens to him. Both of his hands reach down to my sides, his fingers toying with the end of my tank top. He slowly pulls it up my body, the tips of his fingers brushing along my bare skin. My breathing quickens slightly as he pulls me up into a sitting position before pulling the shirt over my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Cold air hits my bare breasts and I fight my immediate instinct to cross my arms over my chest and cover them. I instead lay back down, keeping my arms at my sides and staring up into his hunger-filled gaze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________His hands trace up along my sides again, making me quiver, until his palms close lightly around my breasts. I close my eyes again as he gently messages them. I feel his hardened member grinding against the fabric of my underwear. I gasp quietly as his fingers graze over my nipples, surprised at the sudden sensation. He leans down over me and his soft lips plant kisses along my right breast. His tongue runs over my nipple and my back suddenly arches against the bed. His fingers interlock with mine as he moves onto the other breast._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He kisses between my breasts and all the way down my stomach. My breathing palpitates, savoring his every touch. His lips hover my waist, his hands coming down and grabbing the edges of my bright pink underwear. I feel myself turn red and snap my head down to see what he’s doing. _Oh shit!_

______________________________“I don’t shave,” I blurt out before he can pull them off. He looks up at me with a funny expression. “I’m sorry, I know that… I know some people don’t like that.” He slowly grins as his expression turns amused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I’m sure it will be fine,” he says. I lay back down, wanting to squeeze my eyes shut as I feel him pull the underwear all the way off. I open my eyes to see him kneeling above me, staring down at my now exposed vagina. I feel my clit begin throbbing as he hovers above me, looking me over. “ _Beautiful _,” he murmurs, running the back of his hand down my stomach. My hands grip the edge of the bed as I feel myself getting wetter between my legs. He leans down onto his elbows, his face just above my vagina, holding my hips with both his hands. He leans down and plants a soft kiss on top of my mound. I whimper, feeling the sharp itch deep in my core, wanting to thrust myself right up into his face.__

______________________________He gets off the bed again, undoing his jeans and soon ridding himself of them along with his boxers. Black of course. I giggle to myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________My eyes sweep over him, my whole body coming to life with excitement as I stare at his completely naked form, his fully erect dick only inches away from me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He notices my reaction and chuckles quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Like what you see?” he asks, crawling back onto the bed and laying next to me, propping himself up on one elbow. I nod, still in awe that my deliciously naked boyfriend is lying right next to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________His right hand cups the back of my neck while the other hand goes down to stroke against my leg._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Have you ever had an orgasm before?” he asks curiously, softly drawing circles around my inner thigh. I nod my head, closing my eyes and biting my lip as my sex pulsates with need. His finger leaves my thigh and slowly traces along my slit. “You’ve done it to yourself?” he asks, oblivious to my intense inner shaking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Yeah,” I manage to utter out. He smiles, his finger pushing through my soaking wet folds, rubbing around my lips and driving me crazy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Good,” he whispers. His finger suddenly dips down inside me, curling against my walls and making my eyes pop open in surprise. His finger slowly pumps in and out of me before going up and running across my clit. “Does that feel nice?” he asks, noticing my reaction. I nod, completely unable to form words. His finger leaves my clit and re enters me, pumping back and forth again. “Stars, you’re so _tight. _” My heart flutters rapidly in my chest as my hands grip the sheets harder.__

________________________________I feel myself shake as my orgasm hits, while his finger works its way in and out of me, his thumb now circling my clit. He keeps going, blissfully prolonging my climax and I squirm against the bed, feeling like I might explode from the nearly overwhelming feeling. He continues gently pumping his finger into me even after I’ve finished, making my head spin even faster._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

As I feel myself quickly approaching another climax, his hand pulls away from my soaked pussy. I stare up at him in confusion and want, but he throws his leg over my hip, straddling me again and hovering his cock at my entrance. I didn’t notice there was a condom in his hand before he opens it and quickly puts it on while I open my legs wider, my feet nearly hanging off the edges of the bed. _I guess he came prepared. _He lowers himself down into me, his chest touching mine. I gasp in pleasure, my arms shooting up to wrap around his neck. He lays on top of me, gently pulling in and out of me, getting me used to the feeling of him inside me. I moan into his shoulder as I feel his cock sliding against my walls. This doesn’t feel like it did the first time we had sex.__

__________________________________He places his hands on either side of my head, running his fingers through my hair as he picks up his pace, thrusting in and out of me steadily. He kisses my lips hungrily, his hands pulling through my hair and making me rut my hips into his. He bites down on my lip, causing me to grind myself even harder against him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________We stay like that for a blissfully long time, me panting steadily against his thrusts, tugging my hands through his soft black hair, him kissing along my face and my neck. He pushes deeper into me, suddenly hitting my g-spot. I gasp sharply at the new sensation. I’ve always heard about it, but I’d never been able to reach it myself. I was beginning to think I didn’t have one. This thought makes me suddenly laugh to myself in surprise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________He looks down into my eyes as I feel myself quivering violently, the excitement of knowing my finish is only seconds away. My orgasm explodes, sending my neck aching back, my walls clenching around him, suddenly sending him into his finish as well. He breathes hard, his gaze never leaving my eyes as he comes, his hands gripping my hair until we both finish._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________He gently pulls out of me and I feel a small surge of emptiness. He lays down beside me, the both of us still panting lightly. I feel the warm afterglow from the aftermath of my orgasm and I smile to myself, in a daze. Kylo wraps his arms around me, pulling me close to him and kisses my forehead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“That should have been our first time,” he whispers to me, his hand trailing up to the back of my head as I lean into him. I agree, though I’m still a little too imobile to form any coherent words. In fact, I’m feeling on the verge of crying, though I don’t know why because I can’t remember if I’ve ever felt this happy in my life._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________I close my eyes, my body relaxing in his strong embrace, feeling warm, safe, and loved in a way I never thought I would be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	24. Chapter 24

Kylo P.O.V.

My eyes open slowly, my mind immediately recognizing I’m not in my own bed before I fully wake up. Bright light pours in from the open window behind the bed, filling the small bedroom with the dull early morning light.

I look down beside me at Rey’s still sleeping form, her naked body huddling against mine. Her head is tucked under my chin, the sheets and comforter of the bed practically covering her completely. I silently laugh to myself. _She must get cold easily. ___

I curl my arms tighter around her, gently pulling her in closer. I close my eyes, feeling every inch of her lovely small body touching mine. _Force, I could wake up like this every morning. _It suddenly occurs to me that I’ve never spent the night with someone before.__

______She stirs beneath me and I gently stroke her back, slowly pulling her out of the lull of sleep. She shivers, snuggling closer against me, her eyes blinking open. I can tell she’s very confused for a couple seconds, but she slowly begins to remember why there’s another person in her bed as she looks up at me. I gently kiss the top of her head._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Good morning,” she greets, her melodious voice thick with sleep, which just makes her sound even more adorable. And that is not a word I commonly use._ _ _ _

____“Did you sleep ok?” I ask her._ _ _ _

“Best I’ve had in awhile,” she answers satisfyingly. _Holy shit. _I shy the lower half of my body away from her a little bit, feeling myself harden. She looks down, biting her lip like she always does and curling her fingers around my shoulders then slowly up into my hair. I bring my lips down to her neck, suckling and biting at her skin, making her sigh against my chest. “Can… can we…?” She wraps her leg around my waist, pulling me closer to her, my erection brushing up against her hip. “Can we do that again?” she asks, whispering into my chest._ Fuck._

________“Uh…” I stutter as she pushes her leg harder into the small of my back, our waists pressing together. “I want to,” I tell her, pulling my hands up through her hair. “It’s just… I…” She looks up at me oddly, waiting for me to explain to her why we can’t have sex for at least another hour before getting up. “I don’t have another condom with me,” I tell her. Her eyes widen with realization._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh,” she nods understandingly. We lay still for a moment, me unsure of what to do with my little problem, and her probably wanting something to rub against her pussy. _Fuck!_

__________“I have an idea,” I suddenly say. She looks at me curiously. “If you’re ok with it,” I add. She says nothing, but stares at me curiously. I untangle myself from her and climb on top of her, straddling her hips like I did last night. I bring my hand to my mouth, but then think of something better. “Can you spit on my hand?” I ask, hovering my palm over her mouth. She blushes, giggling in shock, but her eyes look excited as she leans up and spits into my hand. I reach down and grab ahold of my cock and slowly begin rubbing up and down, lubing it up with her saliva. She stares down, wide eyed, and it occurs to me she’s probably never seen this before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________My free hand strokes through her hair as I stare fervently down into her eyes. Her expression becomes serious, her glittering eyes looking up at me breathlessly. It turns me on even more and I grunt as I lower myself closer to her, rubbing myself faster._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do you want me to touch you?” I manage to gasp out as I see her begin to rub her thighs together wantingly. A look of realization crosses her face as she spreads her thighs slightly apart._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No,” she whispers. “I… I can do it.” To my great excitement, she reaches her hand down and dips her fingers down through her folds, soaking them in her wetness. My dick throbs painfully harder as she runs one of her wet fingers over her pulsing clit. She thrusts her hips up, whimpering slightly as she rubs herself harder while I jerk myself off furiously above her. She reaches up and cups her hand around the back of my neck, her fingers messaging me at the same rate she messages herself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I feel my finish coming and I grab her leg, lifting it up by the back of her knee and holding it straight up. She groans, throwing her head back as she rubs herself faster._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Is this ok?” I ask her, already out of breath, positioning myself over her inner thigh. She glances down, then nods quickly. It only takes a couple more seconds before I push myself over the edge, spending myself into the crease of her thigh. She hits her orgasm shortly after me, jerking and gasping against the bed while I cup my hand over hers on top of her quivering pussy, feeling her beautiful wetness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She breathes heavily, her breasts raising with her quaking breaths. Her hand falls to her side, and I grab ahold of it bringing it up to my face. She looks up at me as I spread out her fingers with my hand, inhaling her sweet aroma. Her eyes widen with excitement as I bring her wet finger to my mouth, running my tongue over it and tasting her cum. _Force, she tastes good! _I suck off every last bit of necter off her finger.__

____________After going over to the bathroom to get a towel so I can clean off all the cum I just unloaded on her leg, I plop down next to her on the bed, kissing her eagerly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I want to take you out tonight,” I tell her. She stares back with surprise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Really?” she asks. “Why?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What do you mean why? You’ve been my girlfriend for over a month, I should be taking you out every night.” She smiles, throwing her arms around my neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well where should we go?” she asks. To be honest, I’ve been researching all the best places you should take your girlfriend for your first date. I don’t usually submit myself to internet advice, but I didn’t really know where else to go. It seems that a nice, but not too fancy restaurant is the best way to go._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m taking you out to dinner,” I tell her. “To the Olive Garden.” She laughs, her smile glowing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I didn’t take you for an Olive Garden fan,” she says._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m not really. My mom used to make us go there every once in awhile, but I haven’t been in years. Do you like it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I love it,” she assures me. She pulls my head down to her and kisses me. “I can’t wait,” she says. She hops out of the bed, going over to her dresser and pulling out some clothes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I want to spend the day with you too,” I add quickly. She doesn’t look at me, but I can tell she’s grinning as I watch her pull on a pair of blue underwear and a nude bra._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I was hoping you would.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“He’s taking you to the Olive Garden?” Finn clarifies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yep,” I answer. “He just left to go back to his house to get ready. He’s going to be back here in an hour.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well good for you, girl!” he praises. “Poe! Kylo’s taking Rey on their first date! Hold on, I’m gonna put you on speaker phone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Didn’t you two go to Taco Bell on your first date?” I ask, walking into my bedroom and beginning to look through my closet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That was not official!” I hear Poe call out. “That was just an unfortunate matter of cruel circumstance.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________When Finn and Poe first decided to be together, Finn had to stay late after school one day. Poe waited to drive him home, but by the time Finn was done, they were both starving. They couldn’t figure out where to eat, and the only thing they passed while driving back to Poe’s house, was a Taco Bell. It was a Friday afternoon and I guess they figured, what the hell. But when they told me about it when I saw them the next day, I pointed out that that was technically their first date since they’d never gone anywhere alone as a couple before then. Poe felt like a jackass after he realized this and immediately took Finn out to Scandia that night. So, according to him, that was their real first date._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hey, Taco Bell wasn’t bad,” Finn insists._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It isn’t even real Mexican food, Finn,” Poe argues. “It’s literally the worst place you can go.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ok, look, I called you because I have no idea what to wear,” I say quickly before this debate can continue. “I know Olive Garden isn’t exactly a dress up kind of place, but this is our first date, so I’m supposed to wear something a little flashy, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“There’s nothing you’re _supposed _to wear,” I hear Poe answer. “It’s always tempting to wear something hot for your man, but when it comes to an intimate date, don’t dress up for him.”__

______________“Yeah,” Finn agrees. “Save that for parties.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Or the bedroom,” Poe adds. “Seriously, when you go out with him, wear what makes you feel good. Whatever makes you feel like yourself. It’ll turn him on way more.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“And he’ll respect you more,” Finn points out. I nod to myself, taking in all this new information._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I think my black leather skirt with my low heeled boots would look good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yes!” Finn agrees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“See? That one’s totally you,” Poe seconds. “With your grey leather jacket too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Exactly what I was thinking,” I say, pulling it off the hanger. “Thanks you guys.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“What would you do without us?” Poe asks. I laugh and roll my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Are you nervous?” Finn asks me. I sigh, brushing my hand through my hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I am, a little,” I admit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh don’t be crazy, what’s there to worry about?” Poe asks. “You’ve been together with him for weeks, you guys have known each other for over a year. I’d say you’re far past the awkward icebreaker stage.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I’m just worried we’re going to put too much pressure on this date and it will be all… awkward.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Just remember, it’s you and him,” Finn tells me. “Eating dinner. There’s nothing crazy on the line.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yeah, just talk about what you always talk about with him,” Poe encourages. “Whatever that is. I mean, shit, you’ve already had sex, you two should be good to go.” I go silent, smiling a bit and blushing deeply. I guess I was quiet for too long, because Poe suddenly sounds like he’s grinning. “Oh… shit. You did it didn’t you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“What?” I ask defensively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You had _romantic _sex! Damn, I could totally tell and I’m not even in the same vicinity as you!”__

________________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I’m about to reach over to open the door of the car when we pull up to the restaurant, but stop myself as Kylo gets out. My heart flutters in my chest as I wait for him to walk around to my side of the car. I don’t think anyone’s ever opened the door for me before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I bite back a smile as he pulls the door open. I go to step out, but he takes my hand and helps me out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Thank you,” I say, stepping down onto the pavement of the parking lot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“My pleasure,” he greets back to me, the both of us grinning in amusement because we’re so far out of our element._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________We walk up to the restaurant and he reaches around me to pull open the glass door. I feel warmness spread through me as he places his hand lightly on my back, walking in behind me. We step up to the hostess and Kylo tells her we’ve reserved a table for two. I stare up at him with pleasant surprise as he tells the hostess his name and she looks through the records. She nods, smiling, and tells us to follow her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You made reservations?” I ask him as we walk toward the back of the restaurant to a more private area that has rows of small tables by the window._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Is is a Saturday night,” he points out, pulling a seat out for me as we arrive at the corner table. “I didn’t want us to have to sit and wait for half an hour. Besides, I wanted to make sure we could sit somewhere private.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The hostess places two menus on the table and tells us our server will be right with us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Is this ok?” Kylo asks as she walks off. I glance around at our little tucked away area, feeling hidden from the gaze of the rest of the establishment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“It’s perfect,” I beam at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He goes to look through the menu as I continue looking around at the fancy restaurant, wondering how in the hell I got here._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You already know what you want?” Kylo asks. I turn back to look at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Raspberry lemonade and spaghetti with meat sauce,” I answer him confidentiality. “I always order the same thing whenever I get Italian food.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Uh huh,” Kylo grins. “And raspberry lemonade happens to go good with Italian food?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“The best,” I assure him. “You should try it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Lemonade’s a little sweet for me.” I stare at him, flabbergasted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You don’t eat ice cream, and you don’t drink lemonade?” I gape at him. “How are the two of us even compatible?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Because our opposites attract,” he replies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I can’t argue with that. But seriously, what else don’t you like that I ought to know about?” He sighs, staring at me indecisively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well, I don’t really care for most desserts,” he admits. “And I’m sensing you might have a problem with that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I don’t understand it at all,” I confess. “There are so many desserts, you can’t hate every single one.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Chocolate cake is ok in moderation.” _Thank the Force. I thought he was one hundred percent insane._

__________________“As long as it isn’t dry,” I add. He nods in agreement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The server comes and takes our drink orders. I order my raspberry lemonade and Kylo orders a whiskey on the rocks, which makes me laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So, what exactly are we supposed to discuss on these dates?” I ask when the server comes back with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well,” he begins, taking a sip of whiskey, “I think we’re supposed to get to know each other better. What our passions are, what our goals are… what we like and what we don’t like.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I already know you don’t like desserts,” I point out. “I guess it’s my turn.” He looks curious as I take a drink of lemonade before telling him. “I hate ribs.” He laughs, which wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. “Really, I despise them.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“What kind of ribs?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“All kinds of ribs. I hate them all, and I’m the only person I know that does.” He laughs again, and I stare at him oddly. “You know, most of the time, when I inform people of this, the reaction I get is more outraged followed by them trying to convince me how wrong I am.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hey, ribs aren’t my favorite either,” he explains. “I mean, they’re ok. But I prefer not to eat with my hands.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Right?!” I exclaim. “And they just get stuck in your teeth and you have to shove your whole face into them just to bit a chunk off, because they’re tough as rubber.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, and then you get the fucking sauce all over your hands and it looks like you’ve just ripped into an animal and started devouring it. And it’s not even really worth it after you’ve bitten it off, it tastes like the exterior rather than the interior.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Thank you!” I proclaim, relieved that there is in fact one other person on the planet who gets it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way,” he continues, grinning, “tell me, Rey Kenobi. What else should I know about you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Um… I don’t know,” I blush involuntarily. “What do you want to know?” He shrugs, his face becoming serious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Why did you move to Coruscant?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“For the job opportunity, mostly. I applied in my senior year of high school even though I didn’t really think I’d get it. I knew I wanted to work in charity, but I wasn’t sure I would get to go to First Order right away. But I really wanted to go somewhere new, meet different people and live a different lifestyle. I’d never lived in a city before, so I thought it’d be exciting. And Finn and I wanted to move out of our foster homes as soon as we could.” He nods slowly, as if unsure if he should ask about that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’m sure Poe let you know that he told me… about all that,” he says carefully. I nod, knowingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yes, I heard you got ‘the talk’. You don’t have to take it personally, he and Finn get really protective. They’re like my brothers in a way.” He grins, nodding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, I know.” I take a breadstick out of the basket and bite into the soft, slightly salty provision. “Was your foster home pretty bad?” I shrug, looking down at the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No, not my second one. It just wasn’t exactly a loving family. The parents were actually pretty nice, but I knew they just took me in because they needed the money to support their other foster kids who had been with them longer. They really didn’t pay much attention to me, even the other kids. But I didn’t really mind that. I preferred when people weren’t paying attention to me rather than getting on my case for everything I did. That was Finn’s foster home. I don’t think they wanted another kid, so they didn’t cut him a lot of slack.” Kylo nods, understandingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So you just wanted to get out so you could have your own space and everything?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah. I hated sharing a room. And I hated depending on people for my food and my shelter and everything. I wanted to live on my own life and survive on my own.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, that was me too. I just wanted to get out and start living my life as soon as I could rather than other people try to oversee everything I do.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You said your parents live in D’Qar, right?” He nods. “Did you used to live there with them?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, I grew up there. But my mom used to have friends who lived in Dantooine, so that’s how I knew the area. I liked it, so I started looking around for a place to live when I was about sixteen.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Wow. You really wanted to get away from your parents that bad?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, you could say that,” he answers. His eyes glaze over like they did the last time we talked about his parents. He obviously doesn’t like talking about them much, and I should ask why, but I sense that wouldn’t be a great topic for our first date. “So you’ve lived in a couple foster homes?” he asks, looking back up at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Two,” I answer. One in Jakku and one in Alderaan.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“What was your first one like?” Also not a great topic of discussion for our first date._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Um… I can’t remember when they first sent me to it,” I answer, planning on dancing around the question. “I was two. But I stayed there until I was about nine.” I pause, trying not to become overwhelmed. I haven’t thought about it in so long. “And it was pretty terrible,” I allow. He can probably see that I’m holding back quite a bit. “Things got better when I met Finn in second grade. He’d already been to tons of other homes. He got moved to a home near me, so we went to the same school. He was the first friend I ever had. I couldn’t really make friends before because I couldn’t connect with any of the other kids. But Finn and I were able to understand each other.” To my surprise, I see Kylo grin a bit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So why did they send you to Alderaan?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, somebody finally figured out that Unkar Plutt, the guy who ran my home, wasn’t using the child care money on child care. So all the kids were taken out of that home and moved to a bunch of different places. When Finn heard I was moving, he got himself kicked out of his home so that he could go with me.” Kylo’s eyes widen in amusement, and I nod. “I know, he was quite the trouble maker back on the day.” Kylo laughs at this. “We were hoping we’d be put in the same home, but we were at least near each other, and that was good enough for us. Things seemed to get a lot better after that. I’d never been outside of Jakku before, so Finn had to teach me the ins and outs of everything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I bet that was a sight,” Kylo chuckles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’m sure it was,” I agree, laughing at my own expense._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________We talk all throughout our meal about a million different things. I’m surprised to learn that his favorite actress is Sissy Spacek. I tell him mine is Diane Lane. Then we have a long discussion about eighties action movies and learn that Sylvester Stallone is our favorite action star. We talk about what we’d thought our lives would be like when were ten. Kylo thought he’d be in the military and I thought I’d be on Broadway._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Not a moment of it is awkward. It feels as natural as if I were talking to Finn or Poe. But it somehow feels… even more intimate. Like what we’re telling each other is extremely important, even though it’s mostly trivial things. Or maybe it’s just because I’ve needed someone to talk to like this for a long time, and I didn’t realize it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	25. Chapter 25

Rey P.O.V.

I pull a loose fitting pink top over my head, peeking over my shoulder to where Kylo is dressing on the other side of the room. He’d spent the night again. He brought more than one condom with him this time. 

“You go to the gym on Saturdays, right?” I ask him matter of factly. 

“Yeah,” he nods. “Usually towards the evening though.” I nod, turning to face him, grinning. “What?” he asks, seeing my expression and looking slightly worried.

“I usually head in around now when I go,” I tell him. “I haven’t been in a little while.” A grin slowly crosses over his face. “Would you mind going today?”

“So you’re finally ready to eat your words then, scavenger?” I cross my arms over my chest, jutting my chin out at him. 

“I’m finally ready to knock you off your high horse, Kylo Ren.” He shakes his head, stepping toward me.

“Well that’s a challenge I’m willing to accept,” he assures me. He grabs ahold of my hips, yanking me up against him. “I can’t wait to put you in your place little one,” he utters, his lips brushing against my ear. 

“You wish,” I whisper back.

 

Kylo leaves to go back to his house to get his things while I get ready at my place. He tries to insist on picking me up and taking me over, but I tell him I’ll meet him there. This is an official challenge and we should both show up seperately. He agrees.

I arrive at the gym in under an hour. I glance around the parking lot to see if Kylo’s here yet, but I don’t see his car. I grin excitedly to myself as I enter the gym, immediately heading over to the treadmills. I keep my eye on the door as I begin stretching out, planning on completely ignoring him once he walks in. I know that will drive him crazy. 

Realistically, I’m actually not even sure if I can beat him. He’s one of the tallest men I’ve ever seen, and, based on what I’ve learned the past two nights, one of the strongest. But I’ve managed to outmaneuver many a tall strong man in combat training and hand to hand over the years. And Kylo’s never seen me fight, so he doesn’t know my strengths or weaknesses. So, hopefully, I’ve got a sporting chance. 

I finally see him walk in and quickly turn away, heading over to one of the machines. I get it started, put my earbuds in and start lightly jogging. I keep my gaze focused, even when I see him watching me. He probably guesses what I’m doing, but I force myself not to give in and glance over at him. 

After a few minutes, I slow down and my eyes land a few feet away where the weights are. I practically freeze on the spot, my eyes widening and my mouth dropping open. Kylo is lying on the bench, his slightly wet hair draped lazily over the sides. His hands grip the bar that carries four hundred pounds. He looks barely affected, his chest only heaving slightly, his bare arms showing off his adequately large biceps. 

I grip onto the handles of the treadmill, continuing to gape in awe at, what I giddily remember, is my boyfriend. I shake my head, trying to regain my focus. _That bastard. He’s doing exactly what I was trying to do. I’ve got to focus! ___

__I step off the treadmill, taking a quick sip of water, and walk over to the combat mats, holding my head high. I see Kylo sit up, watching me walk by as I go to find an empty mat. I grab a training saber from the rack, re-warming up a little as Kylo walks over._ _

__“You done stalling?” he asks, grabbing himself a saber form the rack._ _

__“You’re far too eager,” I tell him, still looking away from him. I jump slightly when I feel his arm curl around my waist._ _

__“Are you sure it’s not you who’s getting a little eager?” he whisper to me teasingly, his hand traveling down my stomach._ _

“Very funny,” I grit, pulling away from him. “No distractions, Romeo. Are we going to do this, or what?” He takes a few steps back, then begins circling around me, twirling the saber in his hand and looking like a predator about to go in for the kill. Something about it turns me on immensely. _Damn him._

______“I promise to go easy on you, scavenger,” he says. “Whenever you’re ready.” I grin, gripping my saber in both hands._ _ _ _ _ _

____“You’re gonna want to give it all you’ve got,” I tell him quietly. As soon as he’s circled behind me, I turn sharply, lunging at him, connecting my saber with his, resounding in a loud crack. I keep myself steady, focusing my attention on his movements, trying to predict where he’ll move next. And I’m pretty successful._ _ _ _

We spar like that for a while, our sabers contacting each other with each hit, blocking and striking each other effortlessly, as if we knew every move the other was going to make without saying a word. _This is going to be more interesting than I thought._

________I leap up over his saber as he brings it down toward my legs. I drop to the mat, rolling quickly around his feet and yanking myself back up behind him all in about a second. He’s thrown off by this a bit. I take the opportunity to swing at his back, but he turns and blocks just in time. He pushes me back, grinning. I knock his saber away, grunting in effort. I swing away at him again, but he expertly blocks every hit. My mind rapidly searches for a plan to distract him or throw him off guard all while blocking the rain of strikes now coming from him. I can tell he’s starting to put a bit more effort in, realizing I’m not as easy as he thought I’d be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______He smacks the saber down on top of mine, the both of us holding our sabers above our heads, him trying to use his height to hover over me and push me down to my knees. I glance down at his wide stance and see my opportunity. With as much strength as I can muster, I throw his saber off mine, over my head, and throw myself to the ground, sliding forward between his legs and jumping back up to my feet on the other side, throwing him off guard once again. I swing again, and he just barely catches it, holding his saber with one hand. I push him back a little, swinging myself around for more impact, and swinging right at his shoulder, forcing him to jump back again. As quickly as I can, in the millisecond he takes to regain his balance, I bring my saber clashing down on his, sending it tumbling from his hand to the mat._ _ _ _ _ _

______I hold my saber up at his chest, grinning in victory, the both of us panting heavily as he stares at me in some combination of shock and amazement._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You promise that was your hardest?” I ask him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It was,” he nods, his tone serious. I laugh lightly, lowering my saber._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, Kylo Ren,” I begin, twirling the saber in my hand as he had done. “How does it feel to be put in your place?” I circle around behind him, as he shakes his head, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Actually not as bad as I thought it’d be,” he answers._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______We spar a couple more times with the sabers. He’s only able to beat me once. He asks if I’ve practiced with anything else, and I tell him I’m even better with the staffs. He of course wants to challenge me there too, so I grab a staff and he chooses one of the double sided sabers. It goes on for a while, but I of course beat him once again. It amuses me how astonished he is by my skill. Though I have to admit, he’s one of the toughest opponents I’ve had. He makes me work for it. And it pleases him to hear this._ _ _ _ _ _

______* * *_ _ _ _ _ _

______I sprint through the door of the lobby, brushing past the elevator and heading for the stairs, Kylo hot on my tail._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey, I don’t even know what floor you’re on!” he calls after me as I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well then it looks like I’m gonna beat you again!” I shout back down to him, not slowing my pace, adrenaline rushing through me._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Shit, this is the last time I start anything with you!” he hollers up to me, sounding a little further behind me. I grin in triumph. There’s no way he’ll beat me. I’ve run up these stairs dozens of times, I could do it blindfolded and in less than a minute._ _ _ _ _ _

______I hop onto my floor, leaning up against the rail and looking down at Kylo who runs up about fifteen seconds behind me. I smile sweetly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Beat you again,” I say, giddily. He stares at me, shaking his head._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You are insane,” he tells me. I shrug, turning form him and heading down the hall to my apartment._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re just upset that you underestimated me,” I inform him, taking my key out and opening the door. I walk in and he follows behind, shutting the door._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re insane if you think I’m going to let you get away with that.” His strong arms wrap around my waist, yanking me straight off the ground. I shriek and try to kick out of his grasp, laughing as he carries me over to the bathroom in my bedroom, as if I weighed nothing more than a cardboard box._ _ _ _ _ _

______He sets me down on the tiled floor, pulling my shirt up over my head and tossing it on the floor. He removes his shirt as well and I take off my sports bra and my leggings. I walk over to the shower, turning the water on and waiting for it to get warm. Kylo walks up behind me, his fingers tracing along my waist and making me shiver despite how sweaty I am. His fingers hook into my underwear and slowly pull them down to my ankles. He places his hands on the back of my legs, dragging them back up along my body as he stands until they stop at my backside._ _ _ _ _ _

______I laugh, pulling my hair out of its ponytail and stepping over into the tub and under the warm spray of the shower. He steps in behind me, his hand pushing against my stomach and pulling me close against him, the water cascading over both of us. I blindly reach over to search for the shampoo. I’ve never taken a shower with anyone before, so I’m not sure how this works._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Force, this water is warm,” Kylo says suddenly. “Aren’t you hot?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah,” I answer, rubbing the shampoo in my hair. “But I can never take a cold shower, even if it’s a hundred degrees out.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“It feels like more sweat is being dumped onto us,” he replies._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t know how you- ah!” The water suddenly turns ice cold, making me jump and scurry away form the spray. Kylo had stepped around me and turned the knob to cold. “You bastard!” He laughs to himself, running his hands through his hair under the water._ _ _ _ _ _

______“This is how you’re supposed to take a shower when you’re hot and sweaty.”_ _ _ _ _ _

“How in the world can you stand this?” I ask, him, my muscles already tensing up form the cold. I wrap my arms around myself, my teeth chattering. “Aren’t showers supposed to _relax _you?”__

__________“Yes, and they’re also supposed to cool you down after you’ve worked out for two hours. Come over here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No!” I exclaim, trying to get my muscles to move and finish washing my hair. “I told you, I get cold too easily.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’ll keep you warm,” he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me over. My muscles are sort of frozen, so I can’t really stop him. I flinch as the icy water hits me again, but I have to admit, it does feel like it’s erasing all the sweat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kylo turns me around, keeping one arm firmly locked around my waist and holding me under the water with him. His other hand runs through my hair, getting all the shampoo out. I keep my eyes closed, but feel myself start to relax as I focus on his fingers grazing across my scalp. And I have to admit, his body heat is rather comforting as well._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I open my eyes and he reaches over to grab the soap, letting the water run over it before wrapping his other arm around me and slowly caressing it across my stomach. I gasp quietly, looking down as he works the soap over the front of my body, covering my torso, cascading down my sides, rubbing up between my breasts and my chest. I bite my lip, leaning my head back up against his shoulder as he drags the soap over my breasts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Are you really trying to wash me off, or are you just trying to turn me on?” I ask him, my shaking voice barely audible over the shower. He laughs quietly behind me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do you know me?” he murmurs, resting his chin on my shoulder. His hand travels down along past my hip until he massages the soap along the inside of my thighs. I sigh, shrinking up against him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” I ask him. He suddenly pulls me back under the chilly spray of the water and I gasp, tensing up against his body._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Why?” he asks, setting the soap aside. Both his hands begin running over my soap covered body. “Am I getting you all worked up?” His hands move all over my front, retracing all the places the soap had been. His hands knead a little harder when he gets to my breasts, his fingers twirling over my already sensitive nipples. I’m shivering with excitement when his hands travel along my sides until they reach between my legs, rubbing the soap away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I open my eyes and turn to nuzzle my face into his neck as one of his hands pulls high up my thigh until it traces along my mound. His finger traces up my slit before pushing through my folds and dipping inside me without warning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I gasp loudly, nearly jumping out of my skin as his finger circles slowly around inside me, making me lightheaded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It looks like I got you a little excited,” he whispers to me, exploring my wetness. He takes his finger out, dragging up over my mound and up my stomach, leaving a shockingly hot trail of my arousal up my body. His finger traces up over my shoulder and goes to his mouth where he licks it clean._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I bite my lip, giggling slightly and looking up at him curiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do you like that?” I ask him. “I mean… doesn’t it taste gross?” He laughs as if I had asked him if water hydrates him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You are the best thing I’ve ever tasted, Rey,” he tells me, his forehead touching against mine. I smile shyly, but feel myself become even more turned on. I suddenly jump up onto him, wrapping me legs around his waist and kissing him deeply as my arms hug around his shoulder. We stay like that for a little while, kissing madly while the now barely noticeable cold water showers down upon us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	26. Chapter 26

Kylo P.O.V.

I glance over the calendar on my phone, scrolling to August twelfth. Just a couple days from where Poe announced we were all going to see Venom. Thankfully, they didn’t want to go opening weekend because there are too many people. Something we can all agree on.

I lean back on the couch, looking blankly down at my phone, wondering if I should call Rey. It’s Tuesday, so she’s at her class, but it’d be fun to mess with her a bit. I can practically see her face if she looked down at her phone to see me calling her in the middle of her class. 

This past month has been even better than the one before. And I can’t remember the last time that statement has ever even come close to crossing my mind. But it’s as if Rey somehow makes life exciting and fun. I find myself waking up every morning, practically running to work so I can see her again. It’s only been three months, but it feels like I’ve known her all my life. It’s so easy to talk with her and feel like myself around her. I never thought I’d be able to say that about anyone. 

Usually, Rey and I spend about the same amount of time at work, so we either go to her place or mine after work. She only lets me spend the night the night on weekends, even though I beg her to let me stay during the week, or insist she stay at my house. But of course she points out that we won’t be able to get any sleep. She’s probably right. 

We hang out with Finn and Poe on the weekends. To be honest, I’ve forgotten why I ever found them irksome at all. They’re good people and I can tell how important they are to Rey. I don’t understand it because I’ve never gotten that close to anyone, but I can respect that they are an important part of her life. 

I click out of my calendar and go to my email account to scroll through the endless amount of emails from work, most of them painfully unessential and should be directed to spam, but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet. On these Tuesdays and Thursdays without Rey, I’m usually pretty fucking bored. I actually forgot what I used to do after work when I was single.

I’m about to look at some ‘urgent message’ from Snoke, when my phone suddenly buzzes, a caller ID filling the screen. I stare down at the name and my phone nearly clatters to the floor. I stare at the screen for a few seconds as the phone continues to ring in my hand, before I slowly slide my thumb across the screen and raise it to my ear.

“Hello?” I ask dazedly.

“Ben? Goodness, I thought you wouldn’t pick up!”

“Uh huh,” I reply with uncertainty. “Should I not have?”

“Very funny. How are you honey, I haven’t seen you in so long. You know, we work at the same office, you think you’d make a better effort not to avoid your mother.”

“What do we have to talk about?” I ask her.

“We don’t _have _to talk about anything. You’re my son, I gave the gift of life to you, and it took nearly twenty four hours, mind you.” I roll my eyes. “And I know you’re probably rolling your eyes because you think I tell you this all the time, but maybe once you start appreciating your parents more-”__

__“Appreciate you for what?” I demand, starting to get angry. “For berating me because I didn’t want to go into politics like you? Or because I didn’t want to delve into religion like Luke? Or because I want to live my own life and not have to have everything handed to me because of who my family is?”_ _

__“No one is upset with you for wanting to be your own person, Ben,” she tells me, maintaining her calm demeanor. “But you know exactly why you decided to start working for Snoke.”_ _

__“I don’t need this,” I hiss at her._ _

__“Ben, wait. I didn’t call you to start arguing.”_ _

__“Oh, really? What did you think would happen, we can’t talk for ten seconds without breaking into an argument. As a matter of fact, why don’t you get dad on the phone, we can have a whole battle.”_ _

__“Ben, that’s enough. I called you because it’s been a year since you have said more than five words to your father and I. We need to fix this, Ben, we can’t go down this road.”_ _

__“I didn’t start this.”_ _

__“Well, that’s debatable. But dammit, Ben, we need to be able to be together as a family without tearing each other’s throats out.”_ _

__“Why don’t you call Luke, he can teach us all how to meditate and calm our tortured souls.”_ _

__“You’re coming over for dinner,” she continues, her natural authoritative tone leaving no room for argument. “Or we’re coming to you. Either way, you are going to sit and talk with your parents for a night.”_ _

__“Really, right now mom?”_ _

__“No, not right now. This weekend.” I’m about to argue, when I stop myself, remembering something._ _

__“Saturday?”_ _

__“Yes.” I feel relief wash over me._ _

__“I can’t. I made plans.”_ _

__“Oh, is that so?” she asks, not believing it for a minute. “You made plans on a Saturday night. I assure you, whatever you’re doing by yourself this weekend can wait until next weekend-”_ _

__“I’m going out with my…” I lurch to a stop right before the word comes out of my mouth, scrambling for another form of explanation. But it’s too late._ _

“Your…” It’s silent for a little bit and I can tell she’s probably sat down. “You have a girlfriend?” _Fuck it._

______“Yes, I do. And I’m glad to see it surprises you so much.” It’s quiet again for a little bit, and now I sense that she’s grinning._ _ _ _ _ _

____“No. I knew you would… oh, Ben, I’m so happy for you.”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah,” I mumble. “I’m sure you’ll inform the world.”_ _ _ _

____“Who is she? Tell me about her. Does she make you happy?”_ _ _ _

____“She’s… she’s great, mom,” I reply, feeling a bit uncomfortable talking to her about this. I remember when I was a teenager and insisted I would never have a girlfriend, and she just told me to wait._ _ _ _

____“Ben, this is… this is great! Oh, your father will be so pleased, even though he’ll try not to show it. How long have you been together?”_ _ _ _

____“Three months.”_ _ _ _

“Three months! And you tell me _now? _Well do you… are you in love?”__

________“Mom, really?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are you?” I grit my teeth, bringing my hand to my forehead._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes, I am. But look, this doesn’t change-”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well you have to bring her over, we have to meet her! Invite her over next weekend, Han and I will make a huge dinner-”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I really don't think that’s a good idea,” I inform her. “Weren’t we just discussing how we can’t have a functional family get together without it dissolving into chaos? That will be a great way to deter her and fuck up the one good thing in my life.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Your father will be on his best behavior, I assure you. He’ll know how important this is to you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How?” I sigh dismissively. “He’s never given a shit before.”_ _ _ _ _ _

“Ben Solo, that’s enough. Now, I promise, we won't start anything. And if you really love this woman, you’ll behave yourself as well. But be honest with me… do you plan on being with this woman for a while?” I look down at my feet, knowing I probably don’t have to answer. _As long as I can. _“That’s what I thought,” she states, as if she had heard my thoughts. “I knew once you found someone, it would be someone serious. You’ve always been like that, only keeping people close to you you wanted around permanently.__

__________“Which has been no one lately, except her. Which is why I’m not too eager to introduce her to the family drama.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Ben, it’s just dinner. And this woman is obviously very serious to you, she has a right to get to know your family. And we have a right to meet whoever our son is seeing. I know you think we haven’t done anything for you, but we’ve done more than you know, so no, I’m not ashamed to say that you owe us at least this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I didn’t say you didn’t do _anything _for me…”__

____________“So next weekend. Saturday. Let her know.” I sigh heavily._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ok. This better not blow up in my face.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, stop acting like a teenager. Now, tell me more about her. What’s her name?” Now it’s my turn to grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I think you already know her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?! Who is she?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Her name’s Rey. I think she works for you.” Now there is a long period of silence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Rey… Rey Kenobi?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s her. Hard to believe, I’m sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No… no, it’s not hard to believe. Rey… oh, Ben, that’s amazing. Rey is such a lovely young woman. She’s my most hardworking employee. She’s so positive and happy…. In fact, I was sure you’d be irritated by her.” I laugh to myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, it turns out our differences sort of balance us out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Rey… I’m guessing she doesn’t know I’m your mother. Goodness, I can’t even picture her with anyone.” I smile to myself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Sort of an odd match, I guess.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No. I think she’s perfect for you.” I glance down, gripping my hand into a fist. My old nervous habit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Alright!” Poe announces, striding over to us with Rey following behind him. “We’ve got two large popcorns, four waters, box of Dibs, and some Jr. Mints. Did we miss anything?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Nope!” Finn says, happily snatching up the Jr. Mints. Rey hands me a water and Poe hands me one of the large tubs of popcorn. We hand our tickets to the young woman in front of the hallway, who gives me a strange look for some reason, and we all head down the hall toward theater five. Finn and Poe practically sprint to the door like excited children, while I hold the door open for Rey as we follow behind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Did you see that?” she whispers as we enter the quiet, nearly pitch black theater._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“See what?” I ask as we go down the carpeted ramp towards the seats._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That lady back there looked pretty interested in you,” she answers, laughing slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?” I ask doubtfully. “No way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, believe me, she did.” We sit down next to each other, at the end of the row. “She even turned around to watch you walk off, I saw her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I seriously doubt that, no one has ever-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Don’t you know that a man or woman who is spoken for becomes a million times more attractive?” she informs me. “Poe, isn’t that true?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, yeah,” Poe answers as we both turn to look at him. “There’s always a deeper attraction to things you can’t have when it comes to relationships. Even if you don’t know you can’t have them. I don’t know, I guess there’s a certain… aura you could say about someone who’s already taken. Forbidden fruit and all. Believe me, I don’t know how many girls I had to fight off from Finn once we started dating.” Finn nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s true,” he confirms. I lean back in my seat, slowly unscrewing the cap from my water bottle, wondering if any other guys have started looking at Rey more closely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Well, I can assure you, I didn’t even notice her,” I tell Rey. “The only woman I can see is you.” She blushes slightly, smiling down at the ground. _Force, she is gorgeous._

______________In a few minutes, the lights go down and the previews start. Rey sets our bag of popcorn down between us and starts eating out of it furiously as if she hasn’t eaten all day long._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I can’t tell you a single preview that played because I only glanced at the screen for about a second of each. Which is quite unusual for me since I’m usually keeping my eye out for what I want to see next. But I can’t help but watch her, her face illuminated by the harsh glow of the screen, her eyes wide and thoughtful, taking each of the previews into careful account, as if she were studying each of them closely. If she notices me watching her, she gives no indication of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I do re-focus my attention once the film starts, anxious to see how it will go. I’ve never been a huge Tom Hardy fan, but from what I saw in the trailers, he might do alright._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________About twenty minutes into the movie, I start to get really antsy for some reason. I can practically feel how close Rey is to me, can see her breathing out of the corner of my eye. I remember hearing somewhere that your senses are heightened when you’re in a dark room, so I choose to blame it on that. Even though that sounds like something Poe would say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I grip my left hand into a fist, the familiar sensation of my nails digging into my palm calming me slightly. My eyes start to wander to her again. _Stars, I want her right now. _My arm slowly trails over to her sitting form, curling around her back and resting on her shoulder. She glances down at my hand, then scoots over a bit and gently rests her head on my shoulder.__

________________The tightness in my chest starts to relax as I feel her head resting up against me, her soft hair just below my lips, the scent of her shampoo that’s becoming all too familiar hovering just beneath me. My hand grazes up around her shoulder, caressing her briefly, before smoothing over her chest. I hear her breath catch as I trail down her breast, savoring the way her body moves in surprise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I drag my hand down her body, over her breast, down the side of her torso, until my fingers find the end of her lacy blue shirt. I pull it up, the tips of my fingers grazing against the skin of her bare stomach. I grin as she leans harder against me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I pull my hand up her stomach, under her shirt until I reach her breasts again. I can tell she’s trying really hard not to make a sound as I reach under her bra, my thumb tracing circles around her soft breasts, teasing her nipples lightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________She shivers against me as my hand leaves her chest, brushing back down the front of her stomach. She relaxes a little as I pull my hand out from under her shirt, but I’m not quite finished with her yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I reach my hand down, cupping between her legs, pressing firmly. She grasps the arm rests of the seat in an effort to stop her hips from jerking forward as I press my palm tightly against her sex She glances around to see if anyone’s watching. I honestly could care less if anyone is._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I lift my hand away from her mound and move up to unclasp her shorts. Her head snaps up to look at me, no doubt horrified, but I ignore her and proceed to slip my hand down into her shorts, past her underwear. I run a finger through her folds to see how wet she is. I smile, maybe a bit pridefully, when I feel she is soaking. I pull my hand back out, and to my delight, a small whimper escapes her mouth as I brush over her clit on my way up. She reaches down, pointedly buttoning her shorts back up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Stop distracting me,” she whispers, though I can tell she’s just as turned on as I am._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“That was badass!” Poe exclaims as we exit the theater._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I was very pleased,” Rey agrees. The film was nothing like I thought it’d be, but I agree, that isn’t a bad thing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Listen, we need to have an in depth conversation about this, but I need to go to the bathroom before we leave.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Right behind you!” Finn calls out, following Poe over to the restrooms. Rey watches them, shaking her head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“If there’s no one else in there, they’ll be a while,” she warns me. “They could make out for hours if no one disturbs them, no matter where they are.” She walks over to lean up against the wall and begins looking through her phone while we wait._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I have to talk to you about something,” I begin, stepping up beside her. She looks up at me nonchalantly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“About what?” I grit my teeth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well… I kind of… accidentally mentioned you to my parents.” She raises her eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh,” she retorts, “I see.” I feel like punching myself in the face once I realize how that sounded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“No no, that’s not what… look, I was going to tell them about you eventually, but… I thought I would give you a few months… or years… before I brought you into everything.” She grins warmly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You want to be with me for _years? _” she asks teasingly, though I can tell she’s genuinely surprised by this.__

__________________“Yes,” I answer in confusion. “I want to be with you as long as possible.” Her smile broadens, her eyes glistening with disbelief. I can’t believe she didn’t already know this. “Rey,” I say, taking both her hands. “I don’t… I don’t do this a lot. I’ve never really had a serious girlfriend, ever. Because there was no one I wanted to commit to. That’s why I wanted you… you’re someone I’m serious about. The first person I’ve ever been serious about.” She grins shyly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well… once again, you’ll have to forgive me,” she giggles. “I’m still not sure how all this relationship stuff works.” I grin, brushing my fingers through her hair and cupping the side of her face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Believe me, if I didn’t plan on staying with you, I wouldn’t even consider bringing you to see my parents. But honestly, after you see us all together in the same house, you might be the one who wants out.” She laughs in incredulity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“So you just don’t get along with them?” I nod. _That’s the understatement of the century. _“Come on, it can’t be that bad.”__

____________________“You’ll be wanting to take that back after you meet them.” She laughs, but her face slowly becomes serious, and a bit worried. “They really want to meet you,” I quickly assure her. “I think they thought I’d never have a girlfriend, so they’re ecstatic. They invited us over for dinner next weekend.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Next weekend,” Rey stutters in surprise. “Um… well…” I stare at her unsurely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What’s wrong?” She bites her lip, looking down at her feet, seeming as if she doesn’t know how to say what she wants to say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I’ve never… I’ve never done this before,” she says shakily. She looks… scared. “What if they don’t like me?” I actually laugh out loud._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Are you kidding? They’ll love you. Hell, even if you were fifty years old and unemployed they would still be overjoyed.” This at least gets a small laugh out of her. “Seriously, Rey, don’t worry about that. I may not get along with them, but they’re not total assholes. And you’re a people person, you’ll get along with them just fine. Besides, I’ll be there with you the whole time, it’s not like you’re going to be there by yourself.” She nods slowly, beginning to look a little less freaked out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Force, I never thought I’d ever go through the ‘meet the parents’ journey.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Yeah, I never thought this day would come either,” I tell her. I understand how nervous she is. I mean, it might be a shitty thing to think, but I’m almost relieved I won’t have to pass the ‘meet the parents’ test with her. “It will be fine,” I say, placing my hands on her shoulders. “I mean, we have to get this out of the way sometime, so it may as well be now.” She nods in agreement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“That’s true.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“So, next Saturday then?” She looks a bit nervous again, but nods, smiling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“It’s on.” I smile and hold the back of her head, pulling her close to me before kissing her lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	27. Chapter 27

Rey P.O.V.

I glance around the green, bare fields that surround the large, isolated house we just pulled up to. It took us over thirty minutes to get to D’Qar from my place where Kylo had picked me up around six. Then it took about ten more minutes to get to his parents’ house because they live out on this huge, secluded piece of private property.

“You grew up here?” I ask, gaping up at the towering two story house.

“Yeah,” he confirms, shutting off the car. “As you can see, there was never really much to do around here.” 

“It’s beautiful though,” I say, still in awe. Kylo glances around, as if trying to figure out what I mean.

“I guess.” 

I try to picture being a young child and growing up in a house like this. I would have been thrilled, then I probably would have been quickly thrown out, because I imagine this house contains a lot of furniture that I would have wanted to climb all over.

“My mom used to be big in politics before I was born,” Kylo tells me. “She came from a pretty important family. That’s how we got all our money.” _Hm, well that makes sense. ___

__I unbuckle my seatbelt, but Kylo suddenly puts his hand on my arm._ _

__“Rey…” he begins, sounding unsure. I look at him oddly._ _

__“Kylo, you already warned me about your parents about a million times now,” I say, grinning._ _

__“No, it’s not that. Look, I’ve been putting this off until the last minute, I know, and I’m not sure how you’re going to react.” I cock my head in confusion, waiting for him to go on. “I know I should have told you this sooner, but… Kylo Ren isn’t exactly… my real name.” I stare at him blankly for a good long moment as that information slowly sinks in._ _

__Force knows what he thought my reaction would be, but I think it’s safe to say that it is to both of our surprise that I start laughing._ _

__“Um… I’m trying to figure out what this means,” he says when I continue laughing._ _

__“Do you know something?” I ask, my laughter dying down. “When I first met you and figured out your name, I told Finn and Poe about you and we all agreed how fake your name sounded.” He slowly gapes at me as I start laughing again. “I didn’t even remember that until now!”_ _

__“So… this isn’t as big of a shock as I thought it would be.”_ _

“No, it is… I just… what _is _your name then?” He looks nervously at me, as if he doesn’t want to say it. “What is it, Mortdecai or something?”__

______“No,” he chuckles._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Well, what then?! I have to know my own boyfriend's name.”_ _ _ _

____“Ben.”_ _ _ _

____The single syllable sounds odd coming from his mouth, as if he’s uncomfortable with it._ _ _ _

____“Ben.” I repeat the name in my head a few times, then quietly roll it off my tongue, looking at the defined, handsome face in front of me that accompanies it. I smile. “I like it.”_ _ _ _

____“You do.” It’s more of a statement as he raises his eyes doubtfully._ _ _ _

____“Yes. It’s… I don’t know, kind of sweet sounding.” He laughs in disbelief._ _ _ _

____“Well, I wasn’t expecting that.”_ _ _ _

____“What were you expecting? Me to run off down the street, refusing to speak to you ever again because your real name is Ben?”_ _ _ _

____“You’re not pissed that I lied to you?”_ _ _ _

“Well, I’m guessing you legally changed your name to Kylo, for whatever reason. So, technically, you didn’t really lie to me. You just didn’t tell me an extra little fact about yourself.” _Force knows I haven’t told you everything about myself._

________“The reason I told you now, like this, is because… well, my parents still call me Ben. They refuse to call me anything but that, as my father once so eloquently put it.” I nod, my eyes wide._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh. So, this is apart of all that family drama you were talking about.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“A part of it.” I decide not to push him too far on this, especially when we’re just about to go in and see his parents._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So, I should call you Ben, then?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You can call me whatever you want. Kylo is my name now, and I don’t particularly care if they chose to believe that or not. But they won’t throw you out of the house if you call me that, if that’s what you’re worried about.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well… that’s good to know.” We both look up at the house._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I guess we should go in now.” I nod silently, and he gets out of the car. I go to open my door, but stop myself once again when I see Kylo coming around the front. It’s funny how this man I once thought was so rude and arrogant is actually a perfect gentlemen. He may not like his parents, but someone certainly taught him right._ _ _ _ _ _

______I step out of the car and Kylo shuts the door behind me. We both head across the driveway, up to the large front porch._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You changed your last name too?” I ask as we walk up the steps. I’m assuming his given name wasn’t Ben Ren, or else I would know exactly why he changed it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes,” he answers. “I didn’t want too many people to know who my mom was, so I wouldn’t have everything handed to me anymore. I tried to distance myself as much as possible.” He knocks on the door._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What was your last name?”_ _ _ _ _ _

“Solo.” _Ben Solo. _Solo… Solo! I whip around to look at him.__

__________“Wait-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Before I can continue, the front door opens. I turn and look to see Leia Organa-Solo, my boss of five years, standing in the doorway, smiling warmly at me as if I was exactly who she was expecting._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Rey, it’s so nice to see you,” she says taking my hand and pulling me forward to hug me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I try my absolute hardest not to stand here gaping. It all slowly starts to sink in. Of course. Leia was once a well known Senator, who came from a long line of respected Senators, the Organas. She retired and that’s when she began working at First Order, and I’m assuming that must have been right after Kylo was born. Kylo said he didn’t want to have anything handed to him… having the last name Solo would have been a certain giveaway since Leia’s husband’s last name is Solo._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You look a bit shocked, Rey,” Leia says as we end our embrace and I stand there, staring wide eyed at her, probably looking like a moron. _Kylo is Leia’s son… _Leia’s gaze snaps up to Kylo. “Ben, you did tell her didn’t you?” I look back at him, and he shrugs.__

____________“It might have slipped my mind,” he answers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, don’t you worry about him,” Leia says, waving her hand. “I’m sorry my dear, I thought you knew. Please, come in, both of you!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I walk through the door, following behind her and finally begin to snap out of my shock. We enter a very warm living room with a huge fire in the fireplace. Needed even in the summer, because it’s known to get incredibly cold at night in D’Qar._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The house has a surprisingly rustic feel to it, as if we just stepped into a cabin instead of the enormous house I saw outside. The furniture is mostly wood, except for what I can see in the kitchen just a few feet away in the next room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“This is amazing,” I say before I can stop myself, looking up at the wooden staircase that leads up to a balcony-like second floor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Thank you, Rey,” Leia grins. “We’ve always like it. Something my husband and I can at least agree on. Speaking of, where is the man? Han! Do excuse him, he doesn’t do too well with people.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I gaze around the warm living room, looking up at the large bookcase that sits next to the window, the top shelves filled with books, the bottom with movies. There is a bare space in front of the window, and I imagine that a Christmas tree would look stunning there. This place must look amazing in the winter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I jump when an enormous dog, that I previously thought to be a carpet in front of the fireplace, suddenly stands up and begins slowly walking toward us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ah yes, the walking carpet,” Leia says, seeing me startle. “Don’t worry about old Chewie, he hasn’t bitten a soul who didn’t deserve it. I reckon he’s older than Han and I combined, but he doesn't seem to want to bite the dust anytime soon.” The huge, brown haired dog approaches me, sniffing at my legs, it’s tangled, matted fur brushing against me. I reach down to give him a pet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“He seems lovely,” I say as he licks my hand. I’ve always liked calm dogs. Chewie slowly heads over to Kylo, who smiles lightly, reaching down to give the dog a pat. He then walks back over to me, rubbing up against my leg and staying there. I laugh, kneeling down and scratching his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“He likes you.” I stand up, looking over across the room where the rough sounding voice came from._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________A grey haired man walks across the living room toward us. His expression looks a bit weary, but not uninviting. He extends his hand and I take it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So… you must be her,” he says, looking as if he’s not sure how he feels about it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m Rey. It’s nice to meet you, sir.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Han Solo. Han’s fine, no need for that _sir _or_ mr. _business.” I nod as we release each other’s hands. I look down at Chewie, who’s still hugging at my feet.__

________________“So, he’s yours,” I determine, looking back up at Han, who nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Chewie’s been with me for longer than either of us care to admit. I trust his judgement probably more than anyone else’s.” I grin appreciatively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Why don’t you two have a seat on the living room,” Leia says, directing us down a step into the carpeted room. “Han and I will get you something to drink. We’ve got water, orange juice, cranberry juice…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“And don’t forget the whiskey,” Han says, already heading into the kitchen. “That’s all that’s on my list tonight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“So it’s a normal night then,” Leia says as Kylo and I sit beside each other on the couch on front of the fireplace. I laugh and Leia shakes her head. “What would you two like?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Orange juice is fine with me,” I answer. Leia looks to her son._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Water,” he replies. She nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Ok. Don’t get too comfortable you two, we’ll be doing lots of talking before dinner’s ready.” She leaves and Kylo puts his hand to his forehead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“They don’t seem that bad at all,” I tell him quietly. “And you didn’t tell me your mother was _my boss. _”__

__________________“I was afraid you wouldn’t want to be together when you found that out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Of course I still want to be together, why wouldn’t I?” He looks at me quizzically._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Because my mom is your boss,” he reiterates._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, ok, it’s a little weird, but… at least I know her, so I know she’s a good person. And this won’t be completely awkward anymore.” Initially, I thought it would be a hundred times more awkward, but I’ve known Leia for years and have always had a strong relationship with her. I remember when I first I met her, how motherly she seemed to me. I’d never had a figure like that in my life before, so I had pegged her as the first maternal figure I’d ever had. Ironically enough, she turned out to be my boyfriend’s mother._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So,” Leia says, entering the living room with Han before we can continue our private conversation. She and Han hand us our drinks and Leia sits down on the opposite side of the couch from us. Han sits on the sofa chair next to the couch and Chewie lays at his feet. “You must know I have a million questions.” I can practically feel Kylo grimace. “How did you two meet?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It was a while ago,” I say, knowing Kylo won’t want to answer. “I accidentally ran into him… actually, we didn’t much like each other at first.” Han chuckles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, that’s no surprise,” he says. “You two seem about as similar as night and day.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You of all people should know that opposites attract quite well,” Leia says, giving him a pointed glare. She focuses her attention back to us. “Anyway. How did you two start going out? Who asked who?” Kylo and I both glance at each other, remembering the rather unconventional way we had come out with our feelings for one another._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It just… kind of happened,” Kylo says carefully. I don’t even know how to answer, so it’s silent for a moment. But one glance at Han’s expression and I can tell he’s guessing exactly what had happened. I feel myself blush._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Where did you take her?” Leia continues, then looks at me. “Was he a gentleman, or do I have to have a talk with him?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“He took me out to dinner at Olive Garden, and it was absolutely lovely,” I say, proudly. “And yes, he’s always a perfect gentleman.” Leia nods approvingly, and to my delighted shock, I see Kylo begin to turn red._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Can we talk about something else?” he grits._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Why? I want to know about my son’s love life that he’s been hiding for the past three months.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“When’s the food gonna be done?” Han asks, looking back towards the kitchen. I laugh louder than I intended to and Kylo’s hand covers his face. “What?” Han questions in honest confusion. “It’s seven o’clock, I think we could all use something in our systems before we continue this discussion.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“What are you making?” I ask, noticing the growing aroma wafting in from the kitchen. “It smells fantastic.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Thank you, Rey. It’s chicken alfredo with garlic bread tonight.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re not one of those vegetarians are you?” Han asks, looking at me worriedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No,” I answer, amused by the question, as would anyone who knows me well._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Good,” he nods approvingly. “You might be able to hang with us then. I don’t understand all that vegan vegetarian crap people are trying to pull these days. Back in our day, that would have been a bunch of bullshit. Food is food, you eat what you can get.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, perhaps where you grew up, that was the norm,” Leia says. “Han’s been a smuggler since the day he was born,” she explains to me. “I tried getting him to go into politics after I met him, but he has trouble with authority.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Not unlike his son,” I reply. Han glances up at me, an odd look on his face, as if he’s afraid a bomb might go off. Leia just laughs, a rather impressed look on her face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Exactly like his son,” she confirms. I look over at Kylo, who’s staring at the ground, but beginning to form somewhat of a smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I guess, on top of everything else she does, Leia is also an amazing cook. A trait she informs me she did pass on to her son, so I needn’t worry. That’s good because I’ve always been a terrible cook. But her food is so delicious, I take seconds of everything, even the salad._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Any nerves I previously had all drop away as the evening continues. Leia seems more than happy with me, and I’ve heard mothers are always the toughest to please. Han takes some warming up to, but his sarcastic and somewhat rough characteristics are just how he is. He’s actually quite funny._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Kylo gets a little warmer as the night goes on. I don’t know what his problems are with his parents, but whatever they are, they must go far beyond anything on the surface. He gets along with his mother ok and seems to care about her the way a son should. Or at least I think should. Han however I can tell he is extremely uncomfortable around. In return, Han seems uncomfortable with him. They barely talk to each other, even though Han seems like he wish he could. What’s odd is that the feeling that comes off them isn’t hate. It’s more like they don’t know how to act toward one another. I’m not sure if I should ask Kylo about it later because it might be a little beyond me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I notice almost right away that Kylo couldn’t be more like his father though. The way they talk, their expressions, their opinions, their moody exteriors. They may not look alike, but you’d have to be blind and deaf to not notice their similarities._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Do you need any help?” I ask as Leia begins taking the dishes away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh no, you two just stay put. Han on the other hand isn’t off the hook tonight, so get over here, Mr.” Han sighs in resigned exasperation and gets up to start helping with the dishes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It never ends once you’re married, kid,” he tells me as he walks over to join his wife at the sink. I finish my orange juice and Kylo’s hand finds its way onto my lap, his fingers interlocking with mine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Did you hear they finally found that girl that’s been missing on the news?” Leia asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Which one?” I ask. “Weren’t there a couple?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“The first one,” she answers. “They found her body in one of the rivers in Alderaan.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That’s horrible!” I say, shocked that I didn't hear about this. “I didn’t know… goodness, that’s close.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I know,” Leia acknowledges. “I used to live in Alderaan. Now, you would think the authorities would start getting on top of looking for the two other missing girls. But since they were all runaways, no one thinks it’s a big deal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well that’s some bullshit,” Kylo says. “What the fuck do they think happened, the other ones are just kicking it somewhere?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“If Leia were still the Senator of Alderaan, she wouldn’t let a single missing person go uninvestigated,” Han says._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re right, I wouldn’t. And no one else should either. Yes, it’s always best to hope for the best case scenario, but in my opinion, if you don’t prepare for the worst, that’s exactly how things will turn out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That’s a good philosophy,” I agree. “Are they saying how the girl died?” Han and Leia glance at each other briefly, as if they’re hesitant to tell us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“From the amount of incisions made on her body… it looks like someone tried to drain all the blood from her body,” Leia informs us. I feel my stomach lurch forward and my face go pale when I remember the picture of the young girl that was plastered all over the news for a while._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That’s fucking sick,” Kylo says quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Who would even think to… who would even be _capable _of…”__

____________________“It’s a shitty world,” Han answers my unfinished questions. “Not much we can do but try and weed out the rotten seeds best we can. Back where I grew up, you never had any of this disgusting shit happening. And if it did, we’d just shoot whoever was doing it, no question.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Yeah, no due process either,” Leia says disapprovingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“You think someone who does shit like that to a sixteen year old girl deserves to have a chance to be found innocent?” Kylo asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Everyone has the right to a fair trial. Whether it be to prove them innocent or guilty. In this case, a fair trial would be a trial that proved him guilty. Whoever he is. And assuming he’s a he.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Most of the time it is,” Han says._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I’ve never been sure what I thought about all that. Of course everyone should have a chance to prove themselves innocent if they are just that. But if you have clear evidence that someone did something horrible… how could you just sit there and let a whole trial be drawn out?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Well, onto lighter subjects,” Leia says as she and Han continue with the dishes. “Ben, are you going to ask Rey to the event next month?” I look over at him curiously and he looks like he wants to slam his head down the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I’m guessing that means we have to?” he asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“I would greatly appreciate it.” He sighs and turns to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“What is it now?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Every year, she throws this huge party at the house and invites every member of the entire family tree and all of her old friends from basically every job she ever had. So, it ends up, half the population of the county is here talking politics all night. It’s in September, it’s supposed to be some anniversary thing, I don’t know. She hasn’t forced me to go to one in years, but…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“But now that you have a girlfriend, you have to,” I say, grinning. I turn to Leia. “I would love to come.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Wonderful!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________It’s about nine thirty when we decide to leave. I for one had a great time, and I think Kylo didn’t hate it as much as he thought he would. Leia pulls me aside for a moment before we go, after talking with Kylo briefly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You seem to make Ben extremely happy,” she tells me quietly. “I have to say, I haven’t seen him so… _caring _about someone in a long time. You may not see it, but I certainly do. I think he’s really in love with you.” I feel my face heat up. “And Han will never say this, but he likes you too. I think he’s relieved you're not one of those ditzy money grubbing girls he was always afraid Ben would end up with.”__

______________________“Well, I’m certainly glad to live up to his expectations,” I laugh. “And thank you so much for everything tonight, it was amazing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________We all say our final goodbyes, then Kylo and I are heading out to his car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I think your parents are great,” I tell him once we pull away from the house._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’m glad you think so.” I can tell he means it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“So, about this party next month…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“We really don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Is it really that bad?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Worse.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Oh, worse than what, your parents?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes. It’s a house full of stuck up assholes who love telling you about how successful they’ve been the past year. And then I’ve got this cousin who’s a total prick-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You have a cousin?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah, second cousin, don’t get excited. He’s a total jackass. One of those hipster ‘I’m too cool for anything current’ kind of guys.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Ew. Well, at least we can go together.” He grins._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yeah. Maybe it won’t be too bad. Now I’ll have something to show off.” I grin, blushing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You think I’m worth showing off?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Fuck, are you kidding? Just cause you asked that, I’m staying over tonight and showing you just how damn valuable you are.” I laugh, and at the same time feel a slight shudder between my legs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	28. Chapter 28

Rey P.O.V.

“Do you think I should shave?” I call out, looking down between my legs. Kylo walks over to me after just taking the last of his clothes off. 

“Do you want to?” he asks, following my gaze.

“I don’t know. Kind of. I’ve never really… I’ve always been kind of afraid to.”

“It doesn’t hurt. At least from what I know. I don’t mind. You can do it or not, makes no difference to me.” His arms curl around my waist. “I’ll still play with it either way.” I smile, biting my lip. I turn to face him

“I think I want to do it. Do you… um… do you know how I’m supposed to… do it?” He looks like he’s about to say something, then suddenly bends down and lifts me off my feet. I gasp and grab onto his shoulders as he carries me into the bathroom. “What are you doing?” I ask as he manages to nudge the light on and walk me over to the tub. He sets me down in it, then grabs a cup off the counter. He fills it up with water and sets it on the rim of the tub.

“You asked me how to shave,” he says, crawling into the tub and sitting behind me. He puts his hand on my stomach and eases me back so I’m laying against his chest. 

“A simple explanation would have been nice,” I say as he reaches for the can of shaving cream and my razer. 

“But much less fun,” he tells me as he grabs the cup of water. He tips the cup down, spilling warm water down onto my lower stomach. He gets a small dab of shaving cream and applies it between my legs.

“Ok, just… don’t shave all of it off, ok?”

“You got it.” My hand automatically grips onto his free arm as I lean back against him, my head resting against his shoulder.

“This isn’t weird, right?” I ask as he takes the razer and holds his hand against my stomach as he uses the other one to shave me. I close my eyes and grit my teeth, preparing for whatever this is going to feel like. But I barely feel a thing. 

“No,” he answers. Just relax and don’t move.” I try to do just that, leaning up against him while he shaves me, praying to the Force that he doesn’t cut me, even though I know he won’t. 

“You know, this is oddly sensual,” I tell him as he brings the razer lower down.

“I know,” he answers. “I have the weirdest boner right now.” We both start laughing so hard that he has to stop shaving so he doesn’t slice me open. 

* * * 

I wring my hands nervously in my lap as Finn and I sit in the quiet waiting room, waiting for my gynecologist to come out and give me my results. I’ve never done this before, so I’ve been nervous all day. It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, but it was still someone poking through my vagina with a bunch of tools, so it wasn’t blissful. 

The morning after Kylo and I had had sex for the millionth time, I had come out to see him sitting and watching tv in the living room. I had had an epiphany and wanted to see what his thoughts were. 

“Kylo?” I had asked, leaning up against the couch. He turned to look at me. “I was thinking, since I think we’d both like to be having sex more often than not in this relationship, I think it would be a good idea for both of us to get tested and me to get on some kind of birth control so we don’t have to worry about condoms every single time.” The look on his face was enough to tell me he was more than pleased with the idea. 

I had asked Poe what I was supposed to do and he helped me get set up with the gynecologist. He assured me it wouldn’t hurt when they examined me, but I reminded him he doesn’t have a vagina, a fact he admitted was true.

Poe told me I should also get some… _other _exams as well so Kylo and I could ‘experiment’ more. I had nearly spit out my drink before quietly telling him Kylo and I were only having vaginal sex.__

__“This opens the door to tons of more opportunities,” he had informed me. “Trust me, you two will want to get more and more experimental as time goes on. If you get everything examined and out of the way now, you’re free to do whatever you want without having to worry. Tell Kylo to get them done too, although he probably already is.”_ _

__“He is?” I ask in disbelief._ _

__“Yep. Trust me, most guys have tons of things in mind when it comes to sex. Kylo’s a gentleman though, so he just hasn’t been badgering you with it.” Poe’s eyes suddenly narrow. “He _hasn’t _been pressuring you, has he?”___ _

____“Poe, do you really think I’d stay with someone who’s pressuring me? But fine, I’ll get the… the other exams. Now, what kind of birth control am I supposed to get?”_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____I had to get off work early to go to my appointment, but Poe couldn’t, so Finn went with me instead. Finn insisted he barely remembers how it went when he got tested, but I didn’t care. I was just glad to have him here with me to listen to my nervous babbling._ _ _ _

____I glance down at my new bottle of birth control pills I was prescribed with._ _ _ _

____I had tons of different options for birth control, but this one seemed the least stressful. I was warned that about eight out of one hundred women experience an accidental pregnancy in the first year. But the doctor told me that if I use the pill perfectly every single day, the chances are less than minimal. That I can remember to do._ _ _ _

____“When do you have to start taking the pills?” Finn asks me._ _ _ _

____“She said I could start today,” I answer. “You know, I wish I could just mentally tell my body I don’t want to get pregnant. Imagine if I go through all this trouble, and I end up that one percent that gets pregnant still.”_ _ _ _

____“Then we’ll do whatever we need to do. You’ll be alright, Rey, I promise.” The door suddenly opens and my doctor walks out, papers in hand. Finn and I practically jump up as she approaches us. I try to read her expression before she says anything._ _ _ _

____“Results are in,” she says, grinning as she hands me the papers. “You’re completely healthy.” A gigantic wave of relief washes over me, and I’m sure you could practically see it in my eyes._ _ _ _

____“Everything?” I ask, glancing through the papers._ _ _ _

____“Everything came back negative,” she confirms. Finn and I can’t help but hug each other in celebration. From the look the doctor gives us, she probably thinks Finn is my boyfriend. Which is kind of embarrassing after all the tests I just did and the birth control, so she no doubt knows what I’m planning on doing. But what the hell? It’d be too awkward to explain._ _ _ _

____* * *_ _ _ _

____I rush to the door as Kylo opens it, picking me up and twirling me around after I jump into his arms._ _ _ _

____“I told you everything would be ok,” he says, laughing as he sets me down._ _ _ _

____“I know,” I say, out of breath, “I don’t know why I was so nervous.” Kylo had called to tell me all of his results came back negative as well._ _ _ _

____“We should celebrate,” he says, kissing down the side of my neck._ _ _ _

____“Well, we should,” I say, trying to keep my head straight as he traces his lips along my collarbone. “However, I should be working on my research paper for class, but…”_ _ _ _

____“But… you can work on that tomorrow,” he replies, lifting me off my feet again and carrying me back towards my bedroom. The sun is just about to set, filling the small room with a bright golden light._ _ _ _

____He lays me down on the bed, leaning down over me to give me another hungry kiss before sitting back and undoing my jeans._ _ _ _

____“I’m going to make you feel so good,” he promises me quietly, pulling my jeans down and off my legs. My heart pounds in my chest as I lift my waist up for him to pull my underwear off. He takes off his shirt and I sit up to take off mine, followed by my bra. Even though we’ve had sex more than a few times now, I still feel an initial sense of shyness whenever I’m completely naked in front of him. It doesn’t last too long though._ _ _ _

____Kylo curls his fingers around my thighs, pulling them apart and exposing my bare sex. I admired the job Kylo had done shaving it. It didn't feel as weird as I thought it would. I told him I thought I would keep it that way, and he told me that’s fine as long as I let him do it. I’m not sure why he wants to, but I’m not going to stop him._ _ _ _

____He kneels between my spread legs, leaning over me to graze his tongue over my breasts. I close my eyes, my head rolling aside as I feel his hot tongue trail down my right breast, then back up again, lapping at my nipple. I make some kind of noise between a gasp and a moan in the back of my throat when he sucks my nipple into his mouth. I breath heavily at the sensation, feeling my pussy throb in response. His mouth leaves my right breast to move onto my left._ _ _ _

____His hands gently push my hips back down onto the bed after I’ve practically pushed him off of me trying to grind into him. He grins, leaning down onto his elbows, his hands reaching to hold my thighs apart. I feel his soft lips caressing my waist, traveling lower and lower until they brush against my mound. Before my body has time to respond to even that, he pushes his way past my outer lips, his tongue sweeping through my soaking wet pussy. I gasp in shock, feeling him soak up my wetness with his tongue. My initial reaction would be to wonder if that could possibly taste pleasant, but my thoughts are an incoherent jumble, the incessant pulsing of my clitoris currently being the only thing my mind cares to concentrate on at the moment._ _ _ _

____My eyes roll to the back of my head as he finally pushes his tongue further into me, tasting every inch. My hands grip onto his soft black hair, maybe clutching a little harder than I need to. He in turn grasps my legs harder, his tongue moving faster through my pussy. I tangle my fingers in his hair, my chest heaving at the feeling of having his head between my legs. His tongue travels up and I groan in relief when it brushes slowly over my clit. I grit my teeth as he does it again and my orgasm graciously hits. He keeps his head buried between my legs as I ride out my orgasm, not having enough time or energy to ask him if he would like to get his tongue out of me. He seems to still be enjoying it though as he licks up every last inch of me after I’ve came all over his face._ _ _ _

____Kylo slowly emerges, wiping away my essence from his mouth with the back of his hand, keeping his lust-filled gaze on me. Something about it turns me on even more._ _ _ _

____He swings his legs around to straddle my hips and lays down on top of me, slowly inserting his length where his tongue had just been._ _ _ _

____“You taste wonderful,” he whispers softly in my ear as I grip onto his shoulders, feeling his chest lower against my bare breasts. I can’t seem to form words with my mouth so I just sigh sharply into his neck as he gently begins moving in and out of me. He kisses down my neck and finally against my lips, his hands brushing against every surface of my body as we both get closer to our climax. We release at the same time, breathing heatedly against each other and gripping onto each other as if afraid to let go._ _ _ _


	29. Chapter 29

Rey P.O.V.

I close up my books and happily pass my midterm paper to the left of me where Mr. Evans is going down the rows, collecting them. I’m pretty sure I did much better than I thought I would, and according to everyone else’s elated expressions, so did they.

Everyone begins shuffling out the door. I look down at my phone to see that Kylo has already texted me at ask me how it went. 

“You seem giddier than usual,” I hear Mr. Evans say. I turn to face him as he stands from his desk. “You’ve been pretty chipper these past few weeks, I’ve noticed.” I grin.

“I suppose you could say that,” I reply.

“I take it you did well today?” I nod confidently.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Well, I have to say, I’ve been very impressed with your progress. Whatever’s going on, it’s certainly showing through in your work.” I used to think that having a boyfriend was supposed to distract you from your work, not give you a creative incentive to work harder.

“Thank you,” I say, graciously. He glances to the door as the last few students leave, and I can tell he wants to talk to me, so I stay put.

“Rey, I wanted to ask you something,” he begins, walking toward me as the door swings shut and the room grows absent of the buzzing of movement out in the hall. I look at him curiously.

“Oh. About what?”

“I have to say, you… are very different from most young women I’ve come across in my life.” I stare at him in confusion.

“I… am?”

“Yes,” he assures me, laughing slightly. “I’ve found it rather stimulating to have you in my class…” he slows as his expression changes. “And you are very beautiful as well.” My mouth drops a bit as my face turns red. _Oh shit. ___

__“Um… Mr. Evans, I-”_ _

__“Joe is fine, Rey.” I take a step back._ _

__“Well- I… I think I know what you’re trying to say…”_ _

__“You do,” he says, nodding assertively. “Good. Now, we should wait until the semester is over since I am technically your teacher still. But after-”_ _

__“No, you don’t understand,” I say quickly. “We… I can’t.” He stares at me, puzzled._ _

__“Can’t what? Rey, I understand if you would feel uncomfortable, but I assure you, it’s perfectly normal-”_ _

__“No, it’s not that.” I run a hand through my hair, trying to think of an easy way to explain. “I… I already have a boyfriend.” He looks as if this was the last thing he expected to hear. “I… I’m really sorry.” I wait for him to reply, but he still remains silent. “I really… appreciate that you… respect me and everything…” I cringe internally, feeling like I’m making everything worse._ _

__“But you… have prior commitments, I see.”_ _

__“Uh… I guess you could call it that? I’m really sorry if I ever did anything to make you think I-”_ _

__“That you were attracted to me?”_ _

__“Well, yeah.” He shakes his head, suddenly smiling._ _

__“Oh, Rey. You have nothing to be sorry for. It was I who put us both in this awkward situation. You don’t have to apologize for not replicating my feelings.” I nod, feeling a little more relieved._ _

__“Thank you for understanding.”_ _

__“Of course. I apologize for putting you in this position.” I smile, thankful._ _

__“It’s ok. I’ll see you next week.” I head toward the door, and shake my head in disbelief once I get out in the hall._ _

__I remember when I first started taking this class, having a small crush on Mr Evans. And now he literally just asked me out. I try to think if I would have said yes back before I started dating Kylo, but I don’t think I would have. Something about him being my teacher feels too weird._ _

__I get out to my car and take my phone back out to tell Kylo everything went great with the test. I almost want to ask him to come over, which I know he would in a second. But I know that we won’t end up getting sleep because we usually spend most of the night having sex, and then just laying in bed talking. And after this test, I need to get some sleep before work tomorrow. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow night._ _

__* * *_ _

__Kylo P.O.V._ _

__I take a sip from the small glass of vodka seven in front of me as Rey and I continue to listen to Finn and Poe’s plan they decided to elaborate to us tonight. We’re all down at the small bar that’s a little ways down the street form work. It’s kind of quiet here for a Friday night, so we were able to get a table to ourselves. We all ordered drinks and a huge basket of fries._ _

__“So, you’ve booked the tickets everything?” Rey confirms._ _

__“We’ve got it all covered,” Finn assures her._ _

__“You’re actually making us all go to Six Flags?” I ask, raising my eyebrows._ _

__“Yes, and you’re going to like it,” Poe answers. “Don’t think we forgot about when you told us you haven’t been anywhere fun in years.”_ _

__“It’s only one day, my darling,” Rey says, placing her hand on top of mine. “So don’t get too worked up.” I grin down at her, tucking my arm around her waist._ _

__“I always get worked up when I’m around you crazy people,” I reply. Finn and Poe gasp, looking at each other._ _

“Was that a _joke _, Kylo Ren?” Poe gapes. I roll my eyes as Finn chuckles.__

______“Very funny, Dameron,” I say sarcastically._ _ _ _ _ _

____“You two would be surprised to know he has an incredible sense of humor without even being aware of it,” Rey interjects._ _ _ _

____“No, I don’t,” I protest as she takes a sip from her drink. She gestures to me._ _ _ _

____“See?” she insists._ _ _ _

____“Anyway, back to what we were talking about,” I begin again, playfully nudging Rey. “How are we all supposed to be getting there?”_ _ _ _

____“I will be driving, of course,” Poe answers. “We’re gonna have to be on the road by eight am, so Rey, we’ll be by your place around seven forty five.” She nods._ _ _ _

____“You can just stay the night,” she tells me. I nod in agreement._ _ _ _

____“Great, so we’re all in concurrence?” Poe asks. Finn nods and Rey gives the thumbs up._ _ _ _

____“Well, if you all insist,” I surrender._ _ _ _

____“Yes!” Poe claps in victory._ _ _ _

____“It will be really fun, I promise,” Rey says, grinning excitedly. I can’t help but return her enthusiastic smile._ _ _ _

____We talk for a little while longer, the three of them mostly discussing which rides they’re going to go on and all the shows we have to see. I think I went to Six Flags once when I was thirteen or something, so I don’t know what the hell they’re all talking about. I just listen to everything I’m apparently going to have to go on and see while mindlessly dragging my fingers back and forth along Rey’s bare thigh, occasionally teasing my finger up under her shorts, earning me a slight jab in the side form her._ _ _ _

____After a while, Rey gets up to go to the bathroom and I finish up the last of my drink._ _ _ _

____“Alright, so who’s paying?” Poe asks, teasingly._ _ _ _

____“I’ve got it,” I answer after a moment. The two men look at me oddly, as if they weren’t sure they heard me correctly. I stare back up at them. “That wasn’t another joke,” I clarify._ _ _ _

____“I know… that’s what’s so surprising,” Poe says, grinning. “I’m kidding. No, don’t be crazy, you’re not paying for all of us. I will however be allowing my man to pay for me tonight.”_ _ _ _

____“You know, it really doesn’t matter,” Finn says. “We live together, our income goes toward the same things.” He glances up at me and a sudden knowing smile crosses his face. “If you’re thinking about paying for Rey, I’d forget about it. She hates having people pay for her.” I stare at him oddly, but then remember that night all those months ago when she nearly considered walking all the way back to her apartment in the rain rather than have to owe me anything._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, seriously,” Poe agrees, nodding. “It’s an argument you’re gonna lose.” I sigh, knowing that’s probably true._ _ _ _

____“Well, shit.”_ _ _ _

____“That’s right,” Finn nods. I grin._ _ _ _

____Rey heads back over, and I watch her as she walks across the small bar, brushing past the small amount of people standing about with their drinks. She stops at the counter, pulling out her wallet to pay. I shake my head, grinning. Once she’s done, she starts walking back to our table. I always wonder if she knows I’m watching her or not, or if she knows how much I love watching her when she thinks no one’s looking._ _ _ _

____My gaze suddenly turns to a group of men near the pool table. I don’t know how long they’ve been there, but they suddenly all turn, nudging each other as Rey walks past them to our table, and I realize I’m not the only one watching her. She sits down beside me and resumes talking with Finn and Poe, while I keep my eyes on the group of men who still haven’t taken their eyes off her. They’re much older than her, probably older than me. They look like the kind of people who want to look tough, but would probably bolt at the sight of a handgun._ _ _ _

They begin to walk over to the bar, some of them still watching Rey while she obliviously continues talking with Finn about something. They don’t seem to notice me, but I continue to glare at them anyway, my arm tightening around Rey’s waist, pulling her closer to me. _Mine…_

________Rey sighs, leaning across the table to reach for the last couple of fries in the basket, and I’m finally able to tear my bitter gaze away from the group of men a few feet away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s been a long fucking week,” Rey groans, making me chuckle._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We’d better head out,” Poe says, already standing up. “We want to beat the Friday night crowds before they start hammering down.” We all stand up from the table, Finn and I heading toward the counter to pay._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We’ll meet you outside, ok babe?” Poe tells Finn, following Rey out the door. I glance over at the guys sitting at the bar. They still watch her walk out the door, but don’t do anything else, so I turn back to the bartender at the counter to pay._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _

______I pull my grey leather jacket on as Poe and I step out into the chilly night air, the boisterous noise of the city re-emerging._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Where are you parked?” I ask him, shivering against the breeze._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Across the street,” he answers. “You?” I nod down the sidewalk._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Just down there.” I should have asked Kylo for the keys._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You want me to wait with you?” I shake my head._ _ _ _ _ _

______“No, that’s ok. I’ll see you Sunday. Or Monday.” He grins knowingly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Sometimes I think you only like hanging out with Kylo now.” I scoff, rolling my eyes. We hug and he runs off across the street to his car. I cross my arms over my chest, carelessly kicking my foot against the ground._ _ _ _ _ _

______I feel a group of people walking up behind me and am about to step aside to let them by, when two of them step around in front of me._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey honey,” one of them starts, grinning down at me. I try to stifle my laughter at how ridiculous they both look, but they probably assume they look intimidating. I turn around to see three more of them standing behind me._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What’re you doing out here all by yourself?” another one asks. “You look like you’re waitin’ for someone.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You should come hang out with us,” the guy next to him says, stepping around to stand beside me. “We could have fun with a cute little thing like you.” I bite my lip, staring down at the ground, smiling and shaking my head in incredulity. I’m sure they think they sound incredibly smooth right now._ _ _ _ _ _

______I casually step around them over to the building and lean up against the wall, deciding to wait until they get bored with me._ _ _ _ _ _

“What’s the matter sweetheart?” one asks as the follow me over. “Can you talk?” I keep my gaze anywhere but on them, hoping they’ll get the message. _I really could have gone without this tonight._

__________“Ah, don’t be like that honey,” one says, suddenly reaching out toward my arm. I slide away from his grasp, glaring at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Suddenly, Kylo comes pushing roughly past two of the men, grabbing ahold of my upper arm and pulling me away toward the car, not slowing his pace. I hear a few of the guys call something out to us, but I’m trying to focus on keeping up with Kylo’s long, rapid footsteps._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Kylo, slow down!” I clamor, trying to get his attention while at the same time, basically running to keep up with his furious stride while he keeps his firm grip on my arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We finally stop at the car and he turns to look behind us while I yank my arm out of his hold._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What the hell is the matter?” I demand. He looks back at me, the furious look in his eyes suddenly dying down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m not mad at _you _,” he says, unlocking the car door and opening it, waiting for me to get in. I stand still on the sidewalk crossing my arms and looking at him pointedly, waiting for him to explain. “Really?” he asks, staring back at me.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Really,” I answer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Can we talk in the car, it’s freezing out here.” I want to hold my ground, but it really is numbing out here, so I eventually groan in exasperation and jump into the car. He shuts the door behind me and walks around to the other side, quickly turning on the heater as soon as he gets in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Were you really that livid at those guys back there?” I ask in disbelief. “Seriously, you need to chill out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Of course I’m gonna get pissed if a bunch of deadbeat assholes are putting their fucking hands on you.” I sigh, shaking my head, but grin warmly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Kylo, I’ve been dealing with guys like that for years. It’s actually pretty normal around here.” I lean forward, putting my hand on his arm. “Really, you don’t have to worry about me,” I laugh lightly. He looks over at me, and something about the unsure, yet protective look he gives me makes me want to kiss him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“There were a lot of them though,” he reminds me. I laugh, throwing my head back a bit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I once took on two muggers,” I tell him. He stares at me in slight shock._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah,” I nod. “When I first moved here, back when I was young and stupid and didn’t know anything about living in the city. I had stayed late at work one night and was walking home in the least crowded place I could find because I thought it would be faster to get home that way. Two guys came out of nowhere and tried to take my things. I was scared shitless at first, but I kicked their asses. They didn’t have guns or anything, but one had a knife and I was still able to disarm him. Walked off with all my things and without a scratch.” Kylo stares at me, wide eyed in a mixture of outrage and amazement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Force, Rey, what the fuck were you thinking? You could have been _killed! _”__

______________“I just told you, it was like, almost five years ago when I first moved here. No one ever told me how things are in the city. Anyway, that’s how I learned my lesson. I was pretty shaken up, but I did pride myself that I knew how to fight off any asshole who tries to fuck with me.” To my surprise, Kylo laughs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yeah,” he agrees. “You certainly did a number on that piece of shit who tried to come onto you at work.” I nod slowly, remembering that awful night when Rob Leavy had attacked me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I was about ready to break every fucking bone in his body.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You should have.” I laugh quietly, shaking my head. I look back up at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I think it’s really flattering how jealous you get, but you really have nothing to worry about,” I promise him. “I never look at anyone but you.” I run my hand over the side of his face, and he reaches up to cup the back of my head before pulling me against his lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Now, can we please get out of here?” he asks after we pull apart. I laugh, and nod._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I feel like watching an old horror movie, do you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Hell yeah,” he answers, pulling out from the curb. “What do you have?” I suddenly remember I don’t have any horror movies from before the sixties._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I have Psycho,” I answer. “I think that’s the oldest movie I have, unfortunately.” He shakes his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Nothing unfortunate about owning Psycho. Let’s do it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________We drive down through the busy streets of the city, unfortunately not missing the Friday night traffic. But I honestly could be in a car for hours with him and not get bored._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Did you tell me you think it’s hot when I get jealous?” Kylo promptly asks me. I giggle, looking over at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yes, I think I did.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	30. Chapter 30

Rey P.O.V.

I look at myself for the thousandth time in the car mirror, making sure my hair isn’t sticking out in weird places or that there isn’t lipstick on my face or that my one strap dress isn’t hanging too far down. Kylo places his hand on my shoulder.

“You look fine,” he assures me again.

“Are you sure I’m not too overdressed?”

“I’m sure.”

I decided to wear my silver party dress I had gotten for the First Order Christmas party a few years ago. I had curled my hair (with Poe’s help) and worn a pair of matching strappy heels. Kylo, of course, is wearing a black suit.

I look up at his parents’ house. Tonight, it looks much different than the night I first saw it. Tons of cars are parked along the road, people seem to be protruding from every end of the house, on the balcony, and the porch.

“We’d better get this over with,” Kylo says, stepping out of the car. He lets me out of the car, taking my hand as soon as he shuts the door and begins walking up to the porch. I notice that I’m almost as tall as him in these heels.

He opens the unlocked door, and we both step into the packed house. I stare in wonder at the warm, cabin-like home I had just been in a few weeks ago. With all the wealthy looking, elegantly dressed people all holding glasses of golden champagne standing around talking with one another, the area is almost unrecognizable. Kylo was right. I’m certainly not overdressed.

Kylo grips my hand tightly, holding me close to him as we step through the flock of people, as if he’s afraid I might become lost in the crowd. Which honestly, I might have. A few people glance our way, some giving us a second look of what appears to be surprise. I remember that most of these people probably know Kylo and, knowing him, he most likely has never brought anyone to this thing before. This suddenly makes me incredibly self conscious.

We go into a small sitting room that I haven’t seen before, and say hi to Leia who is in there talking to a smaller group of people who she introduces me to. I feel a little awkward meeting the four well-off looking politicians, but Kylo lightly places his arm around my waist, making me feel a little less out of place.

The next half hour goes along like that. Leia introducing me to her closest friends and family, them going on about how lovely it is that Kylo had finally secured himself a young woman (at least that’s how they put it) and then Kylo and I would stand awkwardly, casting each other gazes of amusement every now and then as we listen to whatever amazing achievements these people had conquered this past year. 

It isn’t as bad as Kylo made it out to be. One or two people were a little snooty, but most seemed very kind and welcoming. They’d have to be if they were friends of Leia’s. It is a little nerve wracking to introduce myself to so many extremely prosperous individuals, but having Kylo right next to me the entire time, probably feeling the same amount of uncomfortableness, definitely helps. 

“Where are we all supposed to eat dinner?” I ask Kylo as he leads me down the slightly crowded hallway after we’d finally found a moment to ourselves.

“Oh, you haven’t seen,” he says mysteriously.

“What?” I gawk at him. He grins, shaking his head and leads me down to two double doors in the middle of the hallway. He opens one of the two oak doors a little ways, ushering me inside. I stare up in awe as he quietly closes the door behind us.

We’ve entered an enormous dining room, circled by walls of dark wood, the only light coming from outside through two incredibly long windows on the right side of the wall. A row of small, electrical chandeliers hang unlit across the ceiling, which seems at least forty feet above us. The long, mahogany table stretches along the room, set with plates, glasses, and utensils that will definitely accommodate the large amount of guests. A string of comfortable looking dining chairs line both sides of the fine table. 

“We never used this room often,” Kylo says, snapping me out of my starstruck daze. “Only for big parties like this.” 

“It's amazing,” I breath, turning to gaze at all sides of the room. “Even if it’s not lit up it looks beautiful.” He chuckles at this.

“I personally always preferred it dark. Seems more…”

“Exciting?” I offer, delicately touching my hand to the impossibly smooth wood of the table.

“Um… sure,” he answers oddly. He stands, staring at me with his hands in his pockets, a look of amusement on his face. “You know, you’re not going to get thrown out for touching anything.” I look up at him questioningly and he nods pointedly at my fingers ghosting across the table. I grin bashfully, reaching out to close my hand around the fine silverware. It’s cold and smooth, and surprisingly light weighted.

“Where did all of this come from?” I ask, still mesmerized.

“All from my mom’s family,” he answers, stepping up beside me. “They’ve been rich as fuck for generations.” I turn my head to look at him.

“Do we have a seating chart?” He laughs loudly, taking my hand from the table and closing both his palms around it.

“No, it’s not _that _pretentious, thank the Force.” I smile, looking around the large room.__

__“We should just stay in here,” I whisper, grinning teasingly. “We could hide under the table when they all get here and no one would notice we’re gone.”_ _

__“That would be fucking perfect,” he tells me, and I laugh as he wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Seriously though, my mom will go on a witch hunt for us. So it’d be better if we just left.”_ _

__“Maybe, but we haven’t had dinner yet,” I protest. “And I want a chance to see what this is going to look like in all of its glory.” I gesture around the magnificent room. “And besides, we got all dressed up, so we wouldn’t want to waste that.” He sighs dramatically._ _

__“Well, if you insist,” he yields. “But then we should get out of here before my parents start setting all the food out. It takes about ten years to get everything ready, so they like to start early.” I giggle as he pulls me back over to the doors, carefully opening one before we sneak back out into the now empty hall._ _

__I’m about to ask him where he thinks everyone went, when someone suddenly steps out in front of us from another room, causing us to skid to a halt._ _

__“Well,” the bored looking young man drawls in an equally dissatisfied tone. “If it isn’t Crylo Ren.” Kylo stares down at the man with what could only be described as unadulterated aggravation._ _

__The man is dressed as if he were going to some kind of teen awards show. With his ocean blue suit and ‘too cool for school’ haircut, I have to guess that this is Kylo’s cousin._ _

__The man’s eyes fall over to me as I stare at him indecisively._ _

“And who’s this unfortunate soul?” he asks, his eyes narrowing in concern. His expression suddenly turns alarmed as he glances down at our interlocked hands. His eyes fill with disbelief as he looks back at Kylo. “Oh, no fucking way,” he says, doubtfully. He laughs, shaking his head. “You, of all people… how in the world did _you _manage to convince a woman to be around you for more than sixty seconds.” My eyes narrow in anger as he turns back to me. “Honey, you know you don’t have to do everything he says, right? I know he looks like he might kill you if you don’t, but that’s just his persona.”__

______“So I see nothing’s changed with you,” Kylo butts in. “You’re still a little shit.”_ _ _ _ _ _

____“And you’re still an emo bitch.”_ _ _ _

____“Ok you guys, calm down,” I intervene quickly, seeing that this isn’t going to end well. The snobby man looks back at me, a complacent look growing across his face._ _ _ _

“You know,” he says, stepping closer, “she does seem a little too _pretty _for you, Kylo. I don’t know how you were able to persuade this one to not run screaming from you.” To my horror, he reaches his hand out to touch the side of my face. I jerk away from him, glaring daggers at him while Kylo steps in front of me.__

________“That’s enough,” he growls in a dangerous voice, staring ragefully down at the man. He just laughs, grinning pompously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, you never were one for conversation.” Kylo pulls me toward him, marching us past him and down the hall. “You two have fun with each other…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re right, he’s an asshole,” I say, still gritting my teeth in anger as Kylo and I walk back out into the living room._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I told you,” he says, shaking his head, still glaring out ahead of us. “Imagine having to see that little prick every year at this thing for your entire life.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How the hell is he related to you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“My mom’s dad, Bail, the one we just met a little while ago. He has a brother, and that’s his son, Zach. He’s been an asshole his entire life. No one likes that side of the family, so Leia tries not to invite them to too much.” My fingers curl around his arm._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You know not to take that stuff to seriously then, right?” His eyes stay looking off across the room, so I cup my hand over the side of his face, turning him to face me, “Right?” I ask again, raising my eyebrows. After a moment, he nods, looking a bit resigned. I grin mischievously, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Let’s give everyone a show,” I whisper heatedly. His eyes grow hungry as he smiles back at me and I lean in to connect my lips with his, hoping that people are watching._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Over the next hour, drinks are passed around and people start to come up to Kylo and I to chat, usually for a minute or two, before moving along and allowing the next small group of people to converse with us. It’s mostly mindless, trivial things. Everyone asks me what I do, how I met Kylo, what I thought of this or that. No one talked directly to Kylo much, most likely because they knew he didn’t like mindless chatter much. I don’t care for it myself, but I always make an effort to be polite._ _ _ _ _ _

______After my second glass of red wine, I start to feel a bit overwhelmed by the crowd of people, so I excuse myself to the bathroom for a moment. Luckily, this wine doesn’t have me passed out cold yet, but I’m trying to be cautious nonetheless._ _ _ _ _ _

______I close and lock the door to the bathroom, leaving the jumbled voices of the crowd outside. I go to the mirror, making sure I still look presentable. After reapplying some lipstick, I take out my phone, quickly going to Finn’s contact._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What’s up?” he asks after he picks up on the second ring. “Everything going ok?”_ _ _ _ _ _

“Fine so far,” I answer. “I had to step away for a moment though. There’s a _lot _of people here.”__

__________“Are they all snobs?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No, not all of them. But Finn, it’s so weird. They’re all so… rich and accomplished. I feel like a black sheep.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I think technically Kylo is the black sheep, since he’s actually in the family. You’re probably more like a sore thumb.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, thank you,” I say, rolling my eyes. “You know, I call you so that you can make me feel better.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And so I do,” he responds. I smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Of course you do. What are you doing?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We’re trying to make stir fry while simultaneously watching American Horror Story.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Which season?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Which seasoning? Ground ginger, I think.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No, which season of American Horror Story?” I ask, laughing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, right. Murder House.” Of course. The best one. “Cult was on tv, we watched it for a while, but it just made us want to go back and watch the good old seasons. You know, when they were actually good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t even think I made it to Cult,” I say, combing my fingers through my hair and sinking down to sit on the soft white carpet that covers the blue tiled floor. “I stopped halfway through Roanoke.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Remember when I started falling asleep during Hotel? That’s when I knew shit was getting pretty bad. Poe wants to know how you’re doing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Tell him two glasses of wine made me better than I thought it would.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Wine? I thought you couldn’t drink wine?”________

___I shrug to myself._ _ _

________“I’ve been fine so far. Perhaps I’m feeding off the energy of talking to so many people.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Poe’s asking if you want us to come over and crash the party. Show ‘em what a real shindig looks like.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I think I would like that very much,” I laugh. I lean up against the cabinets, sighing. “I should probably get back.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, you don’t want them to think you ran away or something.” I grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Good luck with your stir fry.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“We’ll try our best. You can try the leftovers if it ends up being any good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’ll hold you to that. Bye.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“See ya, Reyzy.” We both hang up, but I stay seated on the floor, grateful for the cold cabinets and floor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Someone knocks on the door, making me sit up straight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m in here!” I call out, standing up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I know,” the voice outside answers. I grin in relief, walking over toward the door and unlocking it. I open the door to find Kylo leaning against the door frame. “Needed a break?” he asks knowingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I guess so,” I answer, shutting off the light and stepping out into the hall. He brings his hand down from the door frame to run his fingers through my hair. He leans toward me, his lips brushing against my hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You know there are more _comfortable _places you can run off to,” he whispers gently to me. My eyes stare up at him in a mixture of curiosity and excitement.__

____________We sweep silently through the hoards of people, managing not to gain any attention as Kylo leads me towards the stairs. I follow him up to the second floor and he brings me down a small hallway, tucked away out of sight from the crowd down below. It’s already growing quieter as he takes me down to the end of the hall and opens the last door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________We enter a small, dark room, only a bit of light coming in through the window on the wall. I look around to recognize the room as a bedroom, a twin sized bed up against the wall, a dresser and bookshelf standing side by side on the wall across from the bed. I turn back to face Kylo as he closes and locks the door behind him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Was this your room?” I ask, grinning in disbelief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“At one time,” he admits, looking around with familiarity. “I assure you, that was not my bed. My bed was much better.” I grin, stepping further into the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Are all your old clothes still here?” I ask, opening the closet. It’s pretty bare except for a few spare boxes and hangers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“A few in the dresser maybe. When I moved out I took most of my things with me and everything else I threw out.” I glance toward the bookshelf to see it too is mostly empty aside from a few magazines._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What did you have there?” I ask, nodding toward the empty bookshelf as he steps up behind me, curling his arms around my waist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“All kinds of things,” he answers, his lips brushing along my neck. “Frankenstein, The Outsiders, Jane Eyre, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Of Mice and Men…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You seem to have liked classic literature,” I say as he kisses down along my bare shoulder. “What about Dracula?” He leads me back toward the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Of course.” I close my eyes, leaning my head back onto his shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Wuthering Heights?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Absolutely.” His arm wraps around my waist, lifting me off my feet and placing me on the bed. “Now,” he says, his hand on my back lightly pushing me down onto my stomach, “are we going to talk about English lit our whole time up here?” I feel his fingers brush against my legs as he takes ahold of my dress, flipping it up over my hips. My hands clutch the edge of the bed as my heart races out of my chest while he straddles me, his hands caressing down my sides before traveling down to the hem of my underwear, pulling them down to my thighs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Kylo,” I whisper breathlessly onto the comforter. His palms fold over my hips, lifting my waist up slightly. One hand reaches up between my legs to stroke down my center. I cry softly at his touch. I spread my legs slightly wider as I hear him start to undo his pants._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________My stomach jumps into my throat when a loud knock suddenly sounds at the door followed by Leia’s concerned sounding voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ben, are you in there?” she calls out. I practically leap forward in horror and Kylo has to grab ahold of my waist before I topple right off the side of the bed. I yank my underwear back up my legs, my hands shaking as Kylo and I stand up off the bed, him cursing profously as he rapidly zips his pants up and I jerk my dress down. The door opens, spilling light into the nearly pitch black room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?!” Kylo asks in outrage as his mother appears in the doorway and I turn a vibrant shade of red. She stands there, hand on the doorknob. I can’t quite read her expression, and I’m not sure I want to._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s time for dinner,” she announces. “You two had better come downstairs.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah, sure,” Kylo answers, hinting that he would like her to leave. I just keep my eyes on the floor until she walks off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I look up at Kylo, who still looks angry beyond belief._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Your mother just caught us-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I know, I know,” he says, running a hand through his hair. I scoff, putting my hands to my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We have to go eat dinner with her now!” And in front of a slew of people to boot. "I thought you locked the door."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“She’s my mother,” he answers bitterly. “She found a way around the lock before I even started locking it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Dinner thankfully isn’t awkward at all. Kylo and I sit at the end of the table, near Leia’s parents. When I see Han take a seat next to Leia, I realize I haven’t seen him the entire time we’ve been here. From the looks of it, he doesn’t want to be here at all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Roast beef, potatoes and peas are served for dinner, and even Kylo has to admit it’s pretty damn good. Apparently Han and Leia had spent the entire day preparing it, and it definitely shows. Everyone has seconds, but I have thirds and even fourths of the roast beef. Kylo seems very amused by this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________After dinner, most people stay and chat in the dining room. More champagne and wine is served. Leia pulls Kylo aside to talk with him (hopefully not about what had transpired earlier in his bedroom) and I find myself wandering about the house._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I eventually come across a door down a small hallway near the living room. I open it, peaking into the room and am surprised to find it leads to the garage. I step out onto the oil stained floor, surprised to feel relaxed at the sudden rush of cold air. I look over to see that the garage door is open. And Han is in front of it, working on a very old looking truck, Chewie sitting comfortably below one of the tool shelves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He looks up as I enter through the doorway, and I quickly step back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t know where-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s ok, kid,” he says, waving his hand. He gives me an unsure look. “You can… come out here a little while if you need to. I know it gets pretty overwhelming in there.” I grin, stepping further into the garage, my heels scraping against the smooth stone floor._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Have you been out here the whole time?” I ask. He nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ve tried many times being able to hack it with all the political crap, but I’m not cut out for it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So you just come for the food?” I grin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Pretty much.” He continues working on whatever’s under the hood of the truck before glancing back up at me. “You can sit down if you want,” he says, nodding behind me toward a metal chair sitting near a few shelves. “There’s some whiskey on the table there if you want something a little stronger than bubbly champagne.” I laugh, sitting myself down on the chair. I glance dismissively at the bottle of whiskey, but curiosity starts to get the better of me. I take one of the glasses sitting beside the bottle and pour myself just a little bit. I tentatively take a sip. I prepare for the worst, but to my surprise, it has an unusual minty taste. I pour myself a little more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What’s the problem?” I ask, glancing toward the old truck. He looks up at me oddly, as if not expecting me to ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Auto transmission,” he answers. “The Falcon here has seen a good few decades, always something overheating or blowing out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Auto transmission?” I ask, raising up from the chair and walking around where he’s standing to face the hood of the car. “Is there fluid leaking or a shifting delay?” He continues to stare at me as if I were some alien who spontaneously dropped out of the sky._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Shifting delay,” he replies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Check engine light went on I assume,” I say, leaning forward to look at the engine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah.” I nod._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, from the looks of it, it doesn’t look like replacing the clutch will do it.” I glance over to the tool shelves. “Do you have a flywheel wrench?” I ask him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Uh… should be one on the wall over there.” I turn and quickly find the large tool. I walk back over, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, lucky for you, you won’t have to take it into the shop,” I say cheerfully. “I know the perfect trick.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It only takes a little under ten minutes to get the auto transmission working smoothly and the check engine light off. Han is quite a skilled engineer, proven alone by the fact that he has been able to keep this ancient truck he’s called the Falcon alive and running for as long as he has._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well I’ll be damned,” Han says, grinning slightly in amazement as I grab a cloth from the table and scrub the grease off my hands. “I guess all I needed was a pair of fresh eyes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“More useful than you’d think?” I ask, finishing off my second glass of whiskey._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah,” he chuckles, still in disbelief. I sit back down and Chewie comes to graze around my feet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So how long have you had this thing?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh shit. Longer than I can even remember.” I grin, pouring myself another small glass. “Won it from a friend way back in the day. Back when it was running smooth. I used it for smuggling mostly, though I took Leia out on the town every once in a while in it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“How did you meet her?” I ask, curiously. He smiles, almost to himself, as if remembering a very long and nostalgic memory._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It all just… happened. By chance I guess you could say. I ended up meeting her brother, Luke, before I met her-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Leia has a brother?” I ask in surprise. He nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah. No one ever told you about Luke? Luke Skywalker?” I shake my head slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So Kylo has an uncle.” Han scoffs, rolling his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah, but don’t mention it to him or he might have a fit.” I narrow my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So he isn’t close with his uncle either?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I wouldn’t call it that. More like on dire terms with his uncle.” He shakes his head, throwing his hands up in surrender. “It’s a complicated family history, let me tell ya. I’m not sure I even understand it myself so you might want to just have Ben give you the rundown sometime.” I nod in understanding. He sighs, leaning his hand against the hood of the Falcon. “Makes me glad my family history’s non existent when I hear about all this drama.” I look up at him curiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What do you mean?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“My folks hit the road when I was six. That’s all I know of my line. And trust me, I don’t wanna know anymore of it.” I stare down at the glass in my hand, watching the liquid glisten back and forth in the clear glass, the buzzing from the bright white lights overhead filling the silence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I never knew my parents,” I say quickly before I can change my mind. I look up to meet Han’s stare. “As far as I know, I’m the only one of my kind.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You don’t know anything at all?” he asks, his eyes narrowing. I shake my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I was dropped off at the orphanage when I was barely a few months old. Nothing but a first and last name.” He nods slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That sucks, kid. I’m sorry.” I shrug, shaking my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ve had a long time to get over it I suppose. And I don’t really have anything in my life to complain about now, so it’s not as if I’m crying into my pillow every night.” He chuckles at this, and even I snicker a bit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So things have been going good between you and Ben?” I nod eagerly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Really good,” I tell him honestly. “Your son is a really good man.” Han nods in agreement after a moment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He may be a little rough around the edges, but he’s always had it where it counts. I always knew he’d find a decent woman someday.” I grin sheepishly. “He’s… different with you. I haven’t seen him so attached to someone since… well, I’ve _never _seen him so attached to someone. You seem to make him happy, which is something I haven’t seen in a good while. It’s good to know the kid’s got his head on straight. He really cares about you.” There’s a hint of sadness behind his words, and I can’t help thinking he would probably like to be saying these things to Kylo himself.__

______________“I really care about him,” I assure him. “I didn’t understand what I felt at first… I’ve never felt so strongly about someone ever before.” Han grins knowingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Strongly. You feel like you want to strangle the life out of him sometimes, but you know you can’t live without him?” I laugh in incredulity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yes, exactly,” I smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Young love,” Han confirms. “And if you’re lucky, those feelings last a hell of a long time. Not a day goes by where I don't simultaneously thank everything holy that I somehow found my way to Leia, while also wanting to scream my head off at her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I finish off the last of the whiskey in my glass while Han pours himself the last in the bottle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You should probably get back,” he says, taking a swig from the glass. “You’re fresh meat, the crowd will be missing you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh, I think they can handle themselves just fine without me,” I say, standing up and placing my empty glass on the table. “Your son however is probably wondering if I’ve finally left him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Well in that case you’d better haul ass back there. There were quite a few of those sweet talking money grabbers who were looking pretty interested in him now that he’s shown up with a woman.” I grin, shaking my head in exasperation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Then I suppose it’s off I go into the lion’s den again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Have fun, kid. I pity ya.” I stop at the door, wondering if I should thank him for talking with me, but decide against it, knowing it will come out sounding awkward, and step back inside the house, heading back to the living room to find Kylo._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________There aren’t many people in the living room, so I assume Kylo must still be in the dining room. Still mulling over my conversation with Han, I decide I wouldn’t mind being alone a little while longer. I decide Kylo can find me if he really needs me, and head up to the second floor, heading out toward the large balcony that, thankfully, no one is occupying at the moment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________I lean up against the cool stone railing, staring down at the mess of cars in the driveway and on the street below me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Both Han and Leia have told me how happy I seem to make Kylo. I recognized that he wasn’t as brooding and moody as when I first met him, but I didn’t think any of that was because of me. I thought it was just him. _How could I make anyone so happy that everyone seems to notice? I didn’t do anything…_

________________“I see you’ve managed to sneak away from the onslaught.” I turn around to see who has managed to sneak up behind me, and groan internally when I see Kylo’s cousin, Zach, stepping out onto the balcony. I roll my eyes, turning away from him. “Is it irritating to have everyone ask you how you and your little boyfriend got together?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Do you not have anything better to do?” I spit out bitterly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You know, I have to say,” he continues, ignoring me, “after you dump him, maybe it will install some humility in him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“So what is it, you just enjoy hearing yourself talk?” I ask, whipping around to face him. He laughs, looking at me as if I were some experiment he hoped to keep pushing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I’m just concerned that a nice young woman like you would want to latch on to someone as troubled as him. You know, with all his horrible family history, nasty stuff… if I were you, I would want to stay as far away from it as possible.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well maybe you should take your own advice. And yes, I’m sure if he shares a family history with you, it must be absolutely unbearable to hear.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh, no no,” he says, laughing. “We all may act like a happy little family, but I’m not related to that emo. That’s the Skywalker bloodline, and my family’s about as far from that messiness as you can get. If I were related to them, I might pitch myself of a cliff-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“What do you mean you’re not related to him?” His eyes raise in slight excitement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh, I see. He didn’t tell you, did he?” I glare at him, waiting for him to explain. “About Anakin and Luke and all of that?” I don’t answer, staring at him in confusion. “What a surprise. I guess he’s trying to keep it from you. That is a fucking laugh.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well if you’re not even related to him, then it’s none of your business, is it?” I ask, pushing my concerns aside. “We all have something in our history, but at least Kylo is a decent man. Unlike you, who seems to be a complete moron.” He shrugs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You know, maybe I had you wrong. Maybe you do belong with that miserable excuse for a human being.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Shut your fucking mouth,” I tell him venomously stepping closer to him. He scoffs, stepping closer to me in return._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh my. What nasty language from such a polite looking woman.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Get away from her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I look up to see Kylo barging past the open doors onto the balcony towards us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh, speak of the devil,” Zach says, laughing self indulgently as he casually steps back as Kylo takes ahold of my wrist and begins pulling me toward the doors. “That’s right Kylo. Find somewhere to go and cry.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________It all happens in a fraction of a second. I stop dead in my tracks, causing Kylo to tumble to a halt as well. I turn towards the self righteous little shit, rearing my entire arm back before pummeling my fist forward into the side of his face with all the strength and anger I can muster. It turns out to be more than enough because his head smacks to the side, and he’s knocked right onto his knees._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I stare down furiously at him for a few seconds before snapping out of my anger-fuelled daze. Zach holds the side of his face, looking as if he has no idea what just hit him. I turn to see Kylo staring at me as if I were the most magnificent thing to ever walk the Earth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I shake my sore hand out a little, barely feeling the pain through my frustration while Kylo steps up close to me, grabbing ahold of my arms._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I am in love with you,” he tells me, as if wanting to make sure I was absolutely clear on this matter. I laugh, mostly in disbelief over what just took place._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I know,” I answer, beaming in giddiness mixed in with adrenaline. “I’m in love with you too.” I look around, giggling again and starting to feel the effects of all the drinks I’ve had this evening. “Do you want to get out of here?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Yes,” he answers, nodding seriously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I’ll admit wholeheartedly, I’ve never been more turned on than after seeing Rey unleash her inner rage and knock the wind out of one of my least favorite people in the world. I am convinced there is no one on this planet more beautiful or unpredictable than her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________We practically run out of the party, saying a quick goodbye to my mother, before racing out to the car. I can tell Rey is a little tipsy from the adequate amount of drinks she had, which probably wouldn’t affect a normal person too much, but her weighing about as much as a feather and being someone who doesn’t drink often, it hits her fairly quickly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________She laughs a lot on the way home about everything, which I would have previously thought I would find annoying, but hearing her laugh just makes me want to laugh too for some reason. About halfway back, she starts sinking down into her seat, muttering about how tired she is. I ask her if she wants to spend the night at my house._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“That sounds wonderful,” she sighs, smiling contently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Once I pull up into the garage, she practically leaps out of the car, running happily up to the front porch, and I have to scramble out as fast as I can to follow behind her, afraid she might break her ankle in those shoes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I lead her into the darkened house and to the staircase. I’m about to pick her up to carry her up the stairs, but she manages to hop up them on her own without stumbling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________We head into the bedroom and I turn on the lamp on the bedside table. I sit Rey down on the bed and go to take off her shoes. She falls back onto the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Why are you always… so nice to me?” she asks groggily. I laugh to myself, shaking my head as I pull her strappy heels off and set them aside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I told you earlier,” I tell her, grabbing ahold of her arms and sitting her up straight. “I’m in love with you. Now…” I stand her up and grab the end of her dress, pulling it up. “Let’s get this off. Put your arms up.” She raises her arms up straight as I pull the fancy dress over her head. I glance at her lovely bare chest for a moment before she sits back down on the bed, her arms covering her breasts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“It’s cold in here,” she comments, as if just noticing, as I lay her dress out on the chair across the room. I glance back over to her to see she has fallen back onto the bed again, looking like she might fall asleep any moment. I go to my closet and look to the back shelf where a neatly folded grey sweatshirt I haven't’ worn in years is laying. I grab ahold of it and walk back over to Rey._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“This should keep you warm,” I say, sitting her up again and helping her into it. She zips it up, hugging herself in the material. It’s a bit baggy on her, but not too bad. And I have to say, it’s incredibly sexy to see her in nothing but her underwear and my sweatshirt. She’s still shivering slightly though, so I bring back the covers of the bed. “Ok, get in,” I tell her gently placing my hands on her waist and guiding her into the bed. She laughs lightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Thank you,” she says, climbing into the covers. I grin and tuck her in. She stretches herself out under the covers, moaning softly into the fabric. “The sheets are so soft,” she says in disbelief. I stare at her curiously as she slowly rubs her face against the sheets.“It’s so warm in here. How is your bed so warm?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I don’t know,” I laugh, heading over toward the bathroom. “I’m gonna get ready for bed, I’ll be there in a couple minutes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________After I’m done getting ready, I turn off the lights and climb in next to her, carefully watching her sleeping form. She’s laying on her stomach, one arm under the pillow, the other arm splayed out beside her. Her eyes flutter open as I crawl in next to her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Thank you, Kylo,” she mutters sleepily. I smile to myself, moving in close to her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I love you,” I tell her, gently brushing a strand of hair out of her face. I think she’s asleep before she can hear me, so I just wrap my arm around her and pull her close to me before falling asleep shortly after her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I’ve never had a more amazing feeling than waking up the next morning with Rey curled up sleeping peacefully beside me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	31. Chapter 31

Rey P.O.V.

“Hey, Rey!” Poe calls me over. I walk over from where I was looking at outside decorations to where Poe is standing near a rack of very revealing costumes. He holds one up to me. It’s an extremely small blouse and a very short mini skirt along with a pair of fishnet stockings.

“Poe!” I exclaim in alarm, staring at him, flabbergasted.

“I think Kylo would really like it,” he says, nodding.

“Regardless, I am not dressing up as some slutty school girl for Halloween. Even though I’m sure it would be terrifying if I did.”

“Poe, I found that Michael Myers bowl you wanted!” Finn calls over form a few section down. Poe hands me the costume.

“Just look through everything and see if anything catches your eye,” he tells me before heading off to join Finn. I stare down at the impossibly raunchy costume in my hands, then turn and stare up at the wall.

It’s a maze of sexy nurses, slinky bartenders, and alluring witches. All of them looking like the fabric would only cover about fifteen percent of my body. I’ve never had a boyfriend I could dress up for on Halloween, but I’m not entirely sure I’m jumping at the opportunity to feel like an idiot dressed in an overly divulged get up.

I lean in closer to inspect an extremely disclosing version of a Spider Woman costume, wondering how in the world I would even manage to fit into it. 

“See anything you like?” I jump, spinning around to face the source of the voice behind me, my face turning pink. I sigh in relief to see it’s only Kylo. “You get it?” he asks, his arms crossed over his chest. “John Carpenter Halloween reference?” I grin.

“Well, aren’t you funny,” I say sarcastically. His eyes travel down to where my hands are still clutching the school girl costume.

“What’ve you got there?” My face turns even redder as I quickly toss the costume back towards the rack.

“Nothing,” I reply quickly. He grins willfully and I grab his hand, leading him away from the rack of costumes before he can get a closer look at any of them. “So, what did you have in mind?” I ask him, heading back towards the scary costumes.

“I haven’t dressed up for Halloween since I was in high school,” he replies as I drag him down the rows of costumes.

“Well, now’s a good a time as any to start back up,” I tell him, looking through an array of clown outfits. “Maybe you could be Michael Myers or something. The one from the remake, since you’re so tall.”

“Uh huh,” he says, hugging his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Or you could be Chucky and I could be Tiffany.”

“Mm hmm,” he murmurs, beginning to trace his lips down my jaw.

“Stop,” I laugh, pushing him back. “You’re distracting me. And you’re _not _getting out of this.”__

__He sighs in resignation, stepping up beside me to look through the assortment of costumes hanging from the wall._ _

__“What the hell am I supposed to be, a vampire?”_ _

__“Sure,” I reply. He shakes his head, then stops, staring off at something at the end of the row. He goes off and I see him grab something off the rack. He walks back over to me, holding it up._ _

__“I think you would look amazing in this,” he says, nodding at me seriously. I look down to see he’s holding a female Freddy Krueger outfit. My mouth opens in surprise, but I stare curiously at it. It’s actually pretty cool looking: a red and green striped dress that goes down just a little above the knees, a small brown fedora, and of course, the finger knife glove._ _

__I take the costume from him, smiling with that really good feeling you get when you know you’ve found the costume you want._ _

“Ok,” I agree. “I’ll try this on, and you have to try something on too.” He looks at me with exasperation. My eyes travel over to the row of costumes across from us. They’re decade themed and my eyes land on one in particular. I grin in excitement, taking Kylo’s hand again. “I’ve got something _perfect _…”__

______* * *_ _ _ _ _ _

____I curl up close next to Kylo, resting my head against his chest as he tightens his arm around me. We’re lying on his bed with all the lights out, watching the original House on Haunted Hill. The whole month of October, we’ve decided to have an epic horror movie marathon and are going to try to watch all the horror movies he owns. Which is quite a lot. Some of them, I’ve never seen before. But this one I have, and it is no doubt the best haunted house film ever made. Kylo agrees._ _ _ _

____“Are you excited for Halloween?” I ask him. After he’d told me that he never decorated his house on Halloween and therefore never got any trick or treaters, I made sure to help him buy tons of decorations for his house, including a huge, colorful bowl to hold an adequate amount of candy for the slew of people who will surely be stopping by his house this year. Living in an apartment my whole time here, I’ve never gotten to hand out candy, but I’ve always wanted to. After telling Kylo this, he agreed to take advantage of his large house and decorate it extensively._ _ _ _

____“More than I’ve been in years,” he admits._ _ _ _

____“Because your house finally looks awesome and scary?” I ask._ _ _ _

____“Yes,” he laughs. “And because I’ll have a very sexy Freddy Krueger here with me.”_ _ _ _

____“Oh?” I ask, rolling over on top of him. “You think I’m sexy?” He grins, grabbing my hips and opening his legs so that my center rests against his. I rub my hips up against him, feeling him harden as I do, creating a friction on me that makes me shake._ _ _ _

____Kylo suddenly pulls me up by my hips, sitting himself up and swinging me around under him, switching our positions so that he’s kneeling above me._ _ _ _

____“Are you trying to tease me little scavenger?” he asks, his hands dragging up from my hips, pulling my shirt up. I giggle, smiling up at him mischievously._ _ _ _

____He grabs ahold of my thighs, yanking me down the bed so that my head falls from the pillows, my body lying completely flat on the mattress. I laugh, pushing playfully against his chest, wriggling my body around, trying to get out from underneath him. He grips my wrists, slamming them down onto the bed, pinning my arms above my head. He makes quick work of my shirt, tossing it aside, followed by my bra. I breath heavily as I feel his mouth and tongue crushing against my breasts._ _ _ _

____“You want me to be rough with you?” he asks hungrily, his lips still ravishing my chest._ _ _ _

____“Yes,” I answer breathlessly, eagerly grinding my hips up against his._ _ _ _

____My eyes open to watch him peel off his shirt and begin to undo my jeans, roughly yanking them off my legs. He shoves his hand down my underwear, prodding through my lips. I whimper softly, feeling his fingers stroke through my folds and raising my hips up wantingly._ _ _ _

____“You’re a horny little slut, aren’t you?” he asks, one hand feeling my wetness while the other runs up and down the side of my thigh. I sigh, my body lighting up at his touch. His eyes ravenously bore into mine as his fingers begin slowly teasing my clit. A guttural moan sounds from my throat and he pulls away to yank my underwear off me before continuing teasing between my legs and stroking along the outside of my thigh._ _ _ _

____His finger presses firmly against my clit and my back arches in response. His hand on my leg slows and I gasp in unexpected pleasure as he smacks his hand down on my thigh. I breath in rapid gasps as he reaches up under my neck and grabs a handful of my hair, roughly yanking it back, forcing my head to arch painfully up._ _ _ _

____“You like that?” he asks, pressing harder against my clit._ _ _ _

____“Yes,” I gasp out. He drags his other hand away from my pleading sex and I frown in confusion. I then feel his body lift away form mine until he grabs my hips once more and flips me over onto my stomach so fast, I nearly shriek in surprise. He hikes my hips up so that I’m resting on my knees, my arms stretched out in front of me. I hear him freeing himself of his pants before his hands return to my hips. One hand releases me to swiftly slap my ass and I pant in shock at how good it feels. He positions himself at my entrance, but pauses._ _ _ _

“What do you want?” he asks me. My chest heaves as I try to clear my pleasure-dazed mind enough to answer. I feel his cock slowly rub against my slit and I cry out in need. “You want me to fuck this little cunt?” _Yes yes, fuck yes… _Something about his voice makes my pussy throb even harder. But he still holds back. “Tell me,” he demands.__

________“I want you inside me,” I breath out. That’s all it takes. He spreads my thighs farther apart before grabbing my thigh with one hand and curling his other around to my stomach and then thrusting roughly up inside me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I sob in relief, feeling his length fill me up, his hips slamming against me repeatedly. It hurts, but it feels so _good _.__

__________“Don’t stop,” I beg, my voice barely above a whisper. My forehead drops down, touching against the bed as he continues plunging himself into me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You feel so fucking good, Rey,” he grunts, sounding about as out of breath as I am. I feel my orgasm approaching and it hits me like a giant wave, knocking every ounce of energy out of me. My body shakes violently as I scream in pleasure, feeling him hit his finish shortly after I do, the both of us heaving in satisfaction._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I’ve never had an orgasm that strong before. My body goes completely limp, Kylo’s grip on my lower body being the only thing holding me up. He gently sets me down and I roll over onto my side, opening my legs to relieve the now painful stress on my hardened clit. I feel my wetness and his seed dripping down the crease of my thigh. I smile in amazement, still slightly stunned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kylo lies down beside me, brushing his fingers through my hair and kissing my shoulder lightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"That felt really good," I say, my voice still shaking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah?” he asks, nuzzling his face against my neck.“I love you,” he tells me, hugging his body against mine. I close my eyes, my mind racing in blissful contentment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I love you too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We lay there holding each other, the forgotten movie playing on the tv and lighting up the dark room. Kylo keeps me close to him so I don’t get too cold and gently traces his fingers over my body until we both fall asleep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	32. Chapter 32

Rey P.O.V.

When Halloween finally came around, Kylo picked me up from my apartment in the morning to take me to work since I would be going straight to his house after work with him. I asked Finn and Poe if they wanted to come too, but Poe said they shouldn’t.

“Trust me,” he had promised, “after the night’s over and the trick or treaters stop coming, you’re not gonna want us there.” He winked at me and I blushed profusely. “You go, have some quality time with your man. I’m sure he’ll look very hot in that costume you picked out for him.”

So, after work ended, Kylo drove me back to his house and we both got ready. I fitted myself in my tight fitting, yet comfy Freddy Krueger dress, and he got dressed up in his incredibly sexy fifties biker outfit. It hadn’t actually taken too much convincing for him to buy it, since the clothes were fairly close to what he wears anyway. He even greased his hair back to look more the part.

I make sure all the lights are on outside the house and get the candy ready. Kylo turns on the first Halloween, and we make a divine tasting meatloaf for dinner. He tells me it’s what he makes for dinner every Halloween, and teaches me how to make it. It turns out amazing, which is crazy because I’ve always heard meatloaf was terrible.

“Where did you learn to make this?” I ask, savoring the flavorful taste of the juicy meat mixed in with the citrusy tomato sauce.

“My mother,” he answers matter of factly. “When I was a teenager I’d never let her make us meatloaf because I’d heard it was loathsome. So, one night, she brought me into the kitchen, made me watch how she made it, then fed it to us for dinner. Shut me right up.” I grin.

“Well, I’m glad she put you in your place. Because this is exquisite.”

Once we’ve finished our dinner, we turn all the lights out, aside from the one in the hall, and continue with our Halloween marathon. Children start showing up around seven o’clock. And handing out candy is every bit as fun as I thought it’d be.

We’re onto Halloween 5 by the time we’re out of candy, most people have gone home, and we turn out all the lights outside.

We head upstairs to the bedroom. I’m not even two feet into the room before Kylo pushes me forward onto the bed, peeling my dress off then flipping me over onto my back.

“Well you’re not wasting any time,” I laugh as he shrugs out of his leather jacket and I kick off my brown boots. He grabs me under my knees and repositions me so that I’m laying with my feet at the end of the bed. “Aren’t we going to finish our marathon?” I ask teasingly as he relieves me off my underwear.

“Maybe later,” he replies, pulling me upright to help me out of my bra. He strips off his white t shirt and leans over me, devouring my body with his lips. “Do you mind if we try something?” he asks, grinning down at me. My eyes widen a bit in excitement as I shake my head. He sits up on his knees, his dark black hair looking delightfully ruffled, and starts undoing his jeans.

I shift around eagerly under him as he pulls his belt out from around his waist. My eyes follow his hands wondrously as he grabs ahold of my wrists, holding them together and wrapping the black leather belt around them. I feel my wetness practically seep down my legs as he pulls the belt tight, locking my wrists together. My heart pounds as he lays me back onto the bed, pulling my arms above my head. 

“Keep your arms here,” he tells me quietly before getting up off the bed and walking off across the room. I lean my head up to see him searching through one of the drawers in the dresser across from the bed.

I lay back down as Kylo slowly approaches, with something in his hands. He kneels back over me, bringing his hands up to my face. Everything suddenly goes dark as he covers my eyes with some kind of fabric, lifting me by my neck to tie it securely behind my head. I hold my breath as my body begins shaking slightly at the loss of my sight. I jump as I feel his fingers brush ever so softly down my stomach, feeling as if my senses have been suddenly heightened. 

“Everything ok?” he asks softly. I nod my head in reassurance.

Kylo gently nudges my legs apart as I lay still with my arms above my head, my fingers gripped into fists. His palm suddenly tightens over my breast, squeezing it until I cry out while his other hand brushes over my slit. He suddenly thrusts his finger inside me. I practically explode at his touch, rutting my hips up into his hand. He chuckles softly, moving his finger in and out of me. 

“So eager,” he whispers in a reprimanding tone. I open my mouth to beg for him to let me tend to my demanding clit, but he suddenly shoves a second finger inside me, causing my heart to nearly jump up to my throat, my mouth hanging open in amazement as he pumps in and out of me, quicker now, his other hand still crushing my breast.

His hand drags down off my breast, his nails digging across my nipple and all the way down to my side, making me grit my teeth. His hand disappears from my side and I jump, yelping as my chest suddenly stings from the sharp pain his palm brings, slapping me firmly on my breast. He does it again, even harder, causing my body to heave up off the bed again. He switches to my other breast without warning, his hand sending a jolting sensation through me and making me cry out in surprise. He slowly inserts a third finger into me, stretching me even wider. I groan in a mixture of pain and delight. I feel his teeth circle around my nipple, biting it softly and gently pulling away all while fucking me with his hand, his mouth roughly attacking both of my nipples.

By the time he slowly pulls his fingers out of me, I feel like my pussy has been wonderfully expanded and my breasts are on fire, my nipples painfully erect.

“I think I like your tits looking like this,” he says, flicking one of my sore nipples and making me jerk forward. I breath heavily, imagining my breasts are most likely glowing bright red. 

I feel him lean forward, gently kissing my throbbing breasts, making me wail quietly as he suckles at my nipples. His fingers softly caress the side of my face, then travel down my shoulder, across my chest, down my abdomen, and across my waist. I shiver at his now delicate touch, wondering how he could be so gentle and so rough at the same time. 

“Don’t worry,” he whispers soothingly against my flesh. “I’m gonna make this little body _scream _for me…”__

____

__I can only moan in response, my mouth unable to form coherent words._ _

__I hear him free himself from his pants and lay his naked body down on mine. My pussy responds eagerly and I push my hips up against him, begging him to enter me._ _

__“Get back down,” he says, lightly slapping my hip. I lower myself back onto the bed, biting back sobs from my neglected clit. His mouth slowly rubs down my middle until it finally reaches between my thighs. I sigh in relief as he takes his clit in his mouth, sucking and running his tongue over it, beginning to relieve that burning itch inside my core._ _

__When I feel myself finally approaching my release, he raises his mouth from my mound. I whimper in confusion and feel his hand gently close around my neck._ _

__“You can’t come until I’m inside you, understand?” he asks. I bite my lip, trying to fight the burning need to buck against his hips, but at the same time, excitedly wondering what he would do to me if I did._ _

__I nod my head slowly after a moment, feeling his cock twitch against my leg._ _

__“I understand,” I breathily reply. He releases my throat and slowly lowers his head back down between my legs, his tongue softly lapping at my clit. I moan, turning my head into my arm, wondering how in the world I’m going to be able to stop myself from orgasming any second now._ _

__I gasp out a strangled cry when I feel him suddenly bite down on my sensitive clit, sucking it up into his mouth and rubbing his teeth over it. His hand reaches up to cover my mouth as I rub myself against his face, groaning as he sucks and pulls at my clit with his lips and teeth._ _

__I feel his face leave my dripping pussy, the pressure on my clit quickly replaced by his thumb and finger. WIthout warning, he pinches my clit harshly between his fingers, making me grunt into the palm of his hand. My body writhes against the bed violently, desperately trying to hold back my orgasm that wants to erupt right this second while he stretches out my clit, then begins rubbing it up and down, making my head spin._ _

__He graciously releases my clit and I sigh in relief as he finally rubs his fully erect cock against my slit. He removes his hand from my mouth and places it on the side of my face, roughly tracing his thumb over my lips._ _

__“Are you ready to come my darling?” he asks, almost tauntingly. I nod quickly, feeling like an excited child. His fingers stroke across my jaw before dragging down my neck, up and over my breast, and all the way down to grip my hip. I spread my legs fervently, almost levitating off the bed._ _

__He pushes inside me, thrusting in and out of me roughly, holding my hips up to him, lifting my backside up off the bed. My hands press against the headboard with so much bone crushing force, I worry I might make a dent._ _

__It takes less than a minute for my body to finally explode into the longest orgasm I’ve ever had. I can barely feel when he hits his own because my body is practically jumping out of its skin._ _

__I laugh breathlessly as he yanks the blindfold off my eyes, which turned out to be one of his ties, and undoes the belt from my hands. I attempt to readjust myself on the bed, but my limbs feel blissfully paralyzed._ _

__“I think you might just drive me crazy, Kylo Ren,” I say, closing my eyes as he collapses next to me._ _

__“You do drive me crazy,” he replies, his arm reaching out to massage my sore body. “Was that ok?_ _

__“Um… yeah,” I respond, unable to express to him how amazing it had felt. So I just reach my hand out to interlock my fingers with his, grinning contently._ _


	33. Chapter 33

Rey P.O.V.

Kylo sits down closely next to me on the couch in a small corner of the club, away from the raging crowd of people on the dance floor where Finn and Poe are somewhere lost in the middle of. It’s calmer than usual tonight, but calm in a club setting still is fairly rowdy. Luckily, Kylo showed me where he usually sits, and it is slightly more quiet.

He hands me my drink, an incredibly bright pink margarita, while he begrudgingly looks down at the apple martini I made him try.

“It’s really good!” I assure him, calling out slightly over the music. “Trust me, I wouldn’t have made you get it if I didn’t think you’d like it.”

“And it’s not too sweet?” he asks, looking at me unsurely.

“I swear it’s not too sweet.” He looks down at the fruit punch colored drink with resign before carefully taking a sip. I watch his expression curiously while I take a sip from my deliciously sweet tasting margarita. He leans back, considering the taste of the drink. “Well?”

“Not something I would usually get, but it’s not bad,” he admits. I grin triumphantly. 

“Told you.”

We sit for a while, watching the crowd of people dancing to the booming music, kicking back in our private little corner, Kylo glaring at anyone who tries to sit near us, resulting in me giving him a look. But honestly, I prefer it if we were alone too.

“Can I ask you something?” I say quietly as the music calms down to a slightly slower song. He nods, leaning a bit closer so he can hear me. “I don’t really know if this is something you want to talk about or not, but…” I look up to meet his eyes. “Who’s Anakin?” His expression quickly changes into something between devastating frustration and remembering something he’d rather forget.

“Zach?” he asks knowingly. I nod. 

“I’m sorry. I know he’s just trying to cause trouble, but…”

“No,” Kylo sighs, shaking his head. “He knows exactly what he’s doing.” Kylo runs a hand through his hair, looking as if he doesn’t even know where to start. “Anakin Skywalker was my grandfather. My mom’s dad.” I stare at him in confusion.

“I thought-”

“Bail and Breha are my mom’s adoptive parents. They were close friends of my  
grandmother’s and they took her in when she was barely a week old.” I nod slowly, waiting for him to explain. “Anakin’s also the father of my uncle, Luke.”

“So Luke and Leia are brother and sister,” I clarify, things finally beginning to make a little more sense.

“Twins actually. Luke was sent off to live with Anakin’s step brother and his wife.”

“Why couldn’t they just live with their parents?”

Kylo’s eyes once again grow heavy, and I’m about to tell him he doesn’t have to tell me anymore, but he continues.

“My grandfather had a lot of… problems. Ever since he was a kid, he was always angry, stressed, confused… he didn’t really know how to be happy. It was difficult for him to relax and… enjoy living I guess. His parents had a lot of problems, I think his dad left him when he was three, and his mom was kind of shut off. Eventually, some guy named Obi-Wan took him under his wing when he was ten or eleven. Over time, they became kind of like brothers. He was the only family my grandfather ever truly had, and it didn't always help him with his issues, but I guess it was nice for him to have someone he could go to and someone to help him through everything. Things only got worse though as he grew older.”

I listen intently, seeing how the story seems to be becoming harder and harder for Kylo to tell.

“When he was nineteen or twenty, he met this woman named Padme.” He grins almost fondly. “I think it’s what you would call ‘love at first sight’.” I smile. “He started getting better. He wasn’t as angry, he wasn’t so frightened or confused about anything anymore… I guess you could say he almost completely changed with her.” I smile again, but then frown, remembering that this story must not have a happy ending. “After three years, they got married. And it finally started to look like everything was starting to take a turn for the better. Then I guess a year or so after they were married, she became pregnant.” He shakes his head, looking as if he didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know, I guess they weren’t really planning on it. But they…”

“They went ahead with it anyway?” He nods.

“My grandmother was an impossibly positive person. She promised him that everything would be ok. He trusted her, and he was pretty excited to become a dad I guess. Obi-Wan wasn’t so sure about it though. He seemed to think that an event like that happening so soon could be dangerous for Anakin since he was still a little unstable.” Kylo sighs and I begin to understand.

“And it was,” I say. “He got bad again?”

“Worse,” Kylo answers. “He started having these horrible nightmares all of a sudden that Padme and the baby would die in childbirth. Every night, he’d have a more graphic version of the same dream. It brought everything back. It drove him crazy.” My hand goes to my forehead, unable to even imagine having to go through that. “He wouldn’t tell anyone how bad it was getting. His rage, his depression, the dreams… he hid it all from everyone, saying everything was going to be fine. Probably because he wanted to convince himself as much. But every day got worse, he started to have hallucinations, started lashing out at people… Padme and Obi-Wan knew something was wrong. They tried to help him. But they waited too long. It got so bad… he was beyond helping. He was sure his wife and child were going to die and he’d be alone for the rest of his life…”

Kylo pauses, and I know that I probably don’t want to hear the rest of this any more than he wants to tell it. 

“Padme went into labor one night while Anakin was away, obsessed with finding a way to save her. It was a horrible labor apparently, all the medication they used couldn’t lesson the pain she was in. Obi-Wan was eventually able to find Anakin, but by the time they got to the hospital… it was too late. She died almost immediately after the twins were born.”

I stare dumbfoundedly at Kylo, wondering how something so horrible could happen to anyone. _How would you be able to live with all of that…? ___

__“The doctors informed them that the only reason she didn't make it was because the extreme amount of stress she was under. That was what finally broke Anakin. If he had tried to get help for himself and be there for his wife instead of trying to hide everything from her… he would have been there with her while she delivered the babies and she would still be alive.” I shake my head, unable to believe everything I was hearing._ _

__“What happened?” I ask in alarm. Kylo stares off somewhere across the room._ _

__“He killed himself,” he answers simply._ _

__I can’t say what I would do if I were put into a situation that horrible, but I can’t believe that I would be able to maintain my will to live if I felt like I had had a hand in killing the person I loved. I can tell that Kylo feels this way as well._ _

__He suddenly grins, laughing humorlessly._ _

__“I guess this isn’t really a conversation fit for this setting,” he observes. I nod in agreement, still unable to pull my mind from what I just heard._ _

__“How did Leia and Luke find each other again?” I ask._ _

__“Obi-Wan brought them together when they were a little older. He became kind of like a mentor to them. You see, whatever my grandfather had… it’s genetic. It passed Leia, but Luke had a mild version of it. It didn’t kick in until he was about twenty, but by that time, Obi-Wan had helped him learn how to get a handle on it before it could even begin.” Kylo smiles, shaking his head, as if considering something. “Obi-Wan swore he’d never let anything destroy this family again. He was going by Ben at this point.” I look up at him. _Ben? _“I was named after him.”___ _

I smile slowly, and am about to tell him how wonderful that is, when I remember he had changed his name. _Why in the world would he change his name if he knew who he was named after?_

________“How was Luke able to control it?” I ask._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“He started following the Jedi religion. Obi-Wan had followed it his entire life, and Anakin tried following it for a little while. Luke really took it to heart the way Obi-Wan did though. Made it his whole life. My mom follows some aspects of it as well.” He sighs in sudden frustration. “And boy did everyone try to get me to follow it every day of my fucking life.” I stare at him oddly, unable to see Kylo practicing the famous Jedi religion. I frown slowly, feeling suddenly like a painful punch had just been thrown at my chest._ _ _ _ _ _

______“The disorder that your grandfather had,” I begin, my voice starting to shake. “You said it’s genetic…” He nods._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I started showing signs of it before I was two years old,” he says. “Not as bad as Anakin, but Luke keeps telling me it’s getting worse.” Tears of shock threaten to spill over my eyes as I reach my hand out to tentatively touch his hand._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do you… do you ever feel like… the way your grandfather felt?”_ _ _ _ _ _

“I did,” he answers. “All the time. I was able to find a way to keep it under control. Just trying to stay away from everyone, keeping to myself…” He suddenly turns to look at me, a grateful look spreading over his expression. “Then you came along.” He takes my hand in his as I grip harder, staring at him with my heart racing. “And slowly… _very _slowly… things started to feel better.”__

I don’t even know what to say to him. Do I thank him? Is he thanking me? I think back to when Han and Leia both told me how happy I seem to make him. _Is this what they meant?_

____

____

_____________“I don’t mean to put any pressure on you or anything,” he quickly explains._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No, it’s not that,” I assure him. “It’s just…” I laugh. “I never thought I could make anyone that happy.” He grins._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You do,” he confirms. “More than you know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I guess he notices the concern that hinders my expression, because he suddenly grabs ahold of my arm, turning me to face him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Rey,” he begins, his tone somber, “I don’t want you to worry about any of this. That’s part of why I didn’t want to tell you, I didn’t want you to have to be apart of any of this. But… I guess if I plan on being with you for as long as I do, you have a right to know.” I nod understandingly, but my gaze still shifts off in worry. _How would I ever be able to help him with something like this?_

______________As if reading my thoughts, Kylo places his hand on the side of my face, turning me back to face him again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I’m not going to turn out like him,” he promises. “I swore to myself a long time ago that I would never destroy my life like that. Trust me, I have it all under control.” I gaze at him suspiciously, raising my eyebrows. “I have it mostly under control,” he corrects himself, his gaze unchanging. I laugh lightly, curling my hand around the back of his head and leaning in to kiss him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You know this doesn’t change anything I feel towards you,” I tell him, holding him close to me reassuringly. “I can tell how hard all of this is for you. And it means a lot that you shared it with me.” I touch my forehead against his and his hand strokes along the side of my neck as he smiles._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“So you still love me no matter how fucked up I am,” he states, almost disapprovingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yes,” I uphold. “That’s what I love about you.” He pulls me forward and our lips touch again, but only briefly before Kylo suddenly pulls away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Let’s get out of here,” he says, as if it’s the greatest idea he’s ever had. Honestly, at the moment, it’s pretty close._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Where?” I ask, standing up with him as he eagerly pulls me out of our little corner and towards the exit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I want to take you somewhere,” he replies simply, as if I should be satisfied with just that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yeah, I was fairly clear on that,” I reply, grabbing my phone to text Finn that Kylo and I are leaving. “I was actually inquiring about the destination.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You’ll see,” he laughs as we leave the club and head for his car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He ends up driving us way out north of the city, and continues going even once we’ve passed the array of towering buildings that make up Coruscant and there is nothing but long, grassy fields on either side of us, darkened by the absence of sun and surrounded by short mountains in the distance. It's the point where Coruscant descends off into D’Qar, but I’ve never gone this way to get there before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The front windows are down, letting the cold night air rush through the car, twirling through my hair and making me laugh giddly, suddenly high on adrenaline._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Are you cold?” Kylo calls out over the loud, rippling wind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I’m freezing!” I laugh delightedly, throwing my arm out the window, letting the night wash over me as we travel rapidly down the isolated road, my heart racing out of my chest as I hear Kylo laugh. The quiet, dark, lonely road makes it feel as if Kylo and I are the only people in the entire world. Just us driving along the empty fields, the world dark and exciting around us. I turn up the music on the radio and lean out the side window, staring out at the almost frightening silhouettes of the mountains and the deep blue, star scattered sky that covers us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	34. Chapter 34

Rey P.O.V.

In a couple minutes, Kylo pulls up alongside one of the fields, slowing the car to a stop.

“Was that what you wanted to show me?” I ask, breathless and still coming down from my high.

“No,” he replies, stepping out of the car. “This is.” I yank myself up and out of the car as he walks around and steps over the small fence into the huge, open field. I follow behind him, and he suddenly takes off down the field, glancing back at me for only a moment, daring me to follow.

I sprint to keep up with him, laughing breathlessly as the cold air fills my lungs and whips around me, filling me with adrenaline again. I’m pretty fast, so I manage to catch up with him fairly quickly.

We keep running all the way up until we reach one of the small, rocky mountains. I stop beside him, staring up to whatever he’s looking at. To my shock, he reaches forward and pulls himself up onto the rock.

“What are you doing?!” I exclaim with incredulity.

“Can you climb?” he asks, scaling the jagged mountain.

“Of course I can climb,” I reply, placing my hands up on the rock. I scramble around in the darkness, trying to find a place to put my hands and feet. The way Kylo’s climbing, it seems as if he’s been here before and knows exactly where to go. I manage to find my way and keep following him up, trying not to think about how high up I am, because there is a chance I might lose my footing any second. “Where in the hell does this go?!” I call up to him. 

“You’ll see! You doing ok?”

“Fine!” As soon as the word comes out of my mouth, my stomach drops down to my knees as I grab ahold of a loose rock and am afraid I’m about to tumble to my death. Luckily, the rock holds and I steady myself enough to continue up.

I don’t notice I’m nearing the top until a pair of hands reaches down and grabs under my arms, pulling me straight up until my feet land on solid ground. I look up into Kylo’s smiling eyes. I look around to see we’re on a flat part of the mountain, a little tucked away by the walls of rocks making up the mountain. 

I step away from him, looking around at the small, hidden away little area. 

“You didn’t bring me up here to kill me, did you?” I ask, looking out at the high up view of the fields down below. I hear him laugh behind me as he presses up against me, holding me close to him.

“No,” he answers.

“I see that out-of-sight little hideaways are your speciality,” I say quietly as his lips graze across the back of my neck.

“I used to come up here every day,” he tells me. “Spent hours up here.”

“Doing what?” I ask.

“Sitting. Reading. Writing. Doing homework. Anything really.” I glance around at the beautiful, open field that seems as if it would be so exposed, but really feels shut off from the world.

“It’s so peaceful here,” I say in awe.

“That’s why I came here.” I laugh quietly.

“Was your home life really that awful?”

“At the time it was.” He pauses thoughtfully, stroking his fingers along my waist. “I just liked being alone. The feeling that no one knew where I was. I could finally relax a little.”

“Get away from the world?” I ask understandingly. 

“Yeah.” He steps around me and pulls me down to sit next to him, our legs dangling off the edge of the rock.

“What would you do if it rained?” I question. He turns back to look behind us and I follow his gaze to see a small little cave chiseled out of the rock.

“I’m not even sure I’d be able to fit in there now,” he says as I laugh. “Most of the time I didn’t have to go in there though. I don’t mind the rain.”

“Me either,” I agree. I glance around the charming hiding place, trying to imagine a teenage Kylo Ren climbing around up here. “Kylo?” He turns to me. I grin shyly at him. “Am I the first person you’ve ever brought up here?”

“You are,” he confirms.

“Really?” I ask with mock suspicion. “Are you sure you didn’t bring any girls up here for some privacy.” He laughs, shaking his head.

“No, I didn’t come up here for that. Besides, there was no one else I wanted up here.” I’m suddenly grateful for the absence of light so Kylo can’t see me blushing profusely.

“Did you hang out with a lot of girls in your lifetime, Kylo?” I ask, half teasingly but with a hint of honest curiosity.

“I’ve had my share I suppose. I lost my virginity in the back of a car to a high school senior when I was sixteen.” I burst out laughing in disbelief and he playfully shoves me. “I fail to see what is so funny!”

“I can’t imagine an awkward sixteen year old version of yourself trying to have sex in the back of a car with an older woman,” I tell him in between laughs. “I bet it was even more awkward than our first time.”

“It definitely was,” he admits. “I don’t even know why I did it, I didn’t even like her that much.” This just makes me laugh harder.

“Then how in the world did you end up in the back of her car?!”

“I think she felt sorry for me. She kind of liked me I guess and offered to… show me how things are done.”

“Well, she taught you very well,” I commend.

“Actually, most things I had to learn on my own. After I got out of high school, I started… experimenting more…”

“Well good lord, Kylo, I didn’t realize you were such a catch.”

“It was just sex,” he shrugs. “I mean, I liked it for a little while, but it got old real fast.” He looks down at me, his fingers brushing over my thigh. “It was never like how it is with you.” I laugh quietly, feeling my skin heat up, either in embarrassment or arousal. His expression grows somber, as if returning to something painfully familiar. “I wish I had known you back then.”

“Me too,” I nod in agreement. I wonder how I would have gotten along with Kylo when was younger. “If you’d met us in middle school, you, me, Finn, and Poe could have been one badass clique.” He chuckles, though seems to be imagining how that would have been, same as I am.

“That probably would have been pretty cool,” he says. “I never met any people like you guys when I was in school.”

“You could have gone to the arcade with us like we did all the time, gone to all the dances, the football games… Finn and Poe would have slowly fell in love while you and I slowly fell in love…”

“I would have taken you to the prom instead of sitting it out.”

“We could have gotten a hotel room after…” My hand crawls over his leg and he grins. “Did you have friends in high school?”

“Not quite all the way to _friends _, but I had a few… aqquantances I guess.” I sigh, shaking my head and running a hand through his hair.__

__“If only you had lived in Alderaan.”_ _

__“My mom used to live there. So, if she had just decided to stay there after she met my dad, our lives could have turned out very differently.”_ _

__“Well… not too differently though,” I point out. “Actually, I’m pretty sure we’d all be right where we are now.” He looks thoughtful for a moment, then nods slowly._ _

__“Yeah. I guess we would.” He puts his arm around my waist and I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder, amazed again by how warm he always is. “Rey?”_ _

__“Yes?”_ _

__“Your first foster home…” My body tenses ever so slightly. “You said it was pretty bad…” I keep my eyes focused out on the field below us, my breathing quietly accelerating. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, it’s just… Poe mentioned something about you going through a lot of weird stuff, and I… I just want you to know that you can talk about it with me. If you ever want to.” I glance down at my hands that are now fiddling around in my lap._ _

__“Thank you,” I tell him in a voice that comes out barely above a whisper. “But it’s… it’s not exactly a particularly cheerful part of my life.”_ _

__“Well, I’ve never been a particularly cheerful person,” he responds. I smile, nodding in agreement._ _

__“Really, you don’t want to hear it.” He places his hands on top of mine, stopping my incessant fidgeting._ _

__“No, I’m serious,” he says. “I unloaded all my family drama on you.”_ _

__“Oh, so it’s only fair I do the same to you?” I scoff._ _

__“Sure,” he nods. I shake my head, turning away from him. I feel a chill go down my spine, my mind slowly crawling back to my early childhood that I tried so hard to ignore for the longest time. Maybe it would be nice to have Kylo know. But maybe (most likely) I’ll tell him everything and then immediately regret it and hardly be able to look at him again. He probably won’t look at me the same way._ _

__“I don’t remember much before I started going to kindergarten,” I begin, my fingers curling around his automatically. “I remember always being hungry and always being afraid to come home. If you could call it that.”_ _

__“Call it what?”_ _

__“A home.” I delicately brush my fingers through my hair. “Unkar Plutt was a junk dealer, but that didn’t make him very much on his own. He needed people to steal things for him, parts and things like that. People who were small and fast, and could fit through small openings and not be seen or suspected. He ended up having some connections with the Foster care agency I guess, and he was able to get a few kids, including me, though I was too young to remember ever being anywhere before that… place.”_ _

__Kylo’s eyes riddle with concern, and I wonder if I should even burden him with any of this. But from the way he’s looking at me, there’s no way he’ll just let me leave it at that._ _

__“My childhood was basically scrounging the smallest, creepiest corners of town for parts. Everyday after school or before school, we’d all have to go out and bring back anything we could get our hands on. If we didn’t… we were punished.” Kylo suddenly straightens, and I’m guessing I was correct in thinking he wasn’t expecting any of this. “He hated me the most because I wouldn’t take any of his shit. I would go a whole day without eating anything. He made sure I didn’t have anything of my own. If I did, he’d destroy it. He’d lock me in the closet for hours. Sometimes he’d take me down to this old cellar in the basement and lock me in there for the night. Force, it was freezing down there.” My arms begin to close tightly around my waist. “I can still smell it,” I spit in disgust._ _

__I keep my gaze away from Kylo, afraid to see his expression. I suppose, if I were him, I’d be pretty confused in going about taking all of this in._ _

__“Eventually I had to start finding ways to hide all the bruises whenever I went to school.” I feel Kylo’s arm suddenly curl around my shoulders, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck and bringing my head down to rest against his chest. I try to calm myself down, letting my arms fall from their tight embrace around my torso to slowly meet with his body._ _

__“I’m sorry, Rey,” he whispers, his lips brushing my forehead as his hand strokes comfortingly through my hair. “I know that doesn’t help much, but I’m really sorry. That should never have happened to you.”_ _

__I feel more angry than sad, but Finn once told me I only feel that way because I’m trying to bury the sadness. But that’s part of why I’m so angry. I hate him for hurting me like this, and continuing to have to think about that horrible beginning of my life. I hate that I have to have this as a part of who I am, and therefore, a part of what I have to share with people who are close with me. I hate having to risk people forever looking at me as a broken, sad woman with a tragic past if they ever learned this piece of my life._ _

“I _hate _him,” I whisper quietly to Kylo. He doesn’t even have to say anything. Just from the way he holds me, our bodies pressed gently together, I know he somehow understands.__

______We stay like that for a moment, and I have to admit, I do feel a lot better. Sharing personal things isn’t exactly a strong suit, but with Kylo, I feel like I could talk for hours about anything. He just sits and listens. He never takes his eyes off me, as if everything I say is extremely important to him. I don’t even know how to describe how nice it feels._ _ _ _ _ _

____“I wish I had had a place like this to escape to,” I say, savoring the tranquil aura of the magnificent field._ _ _ _

____“Sometimes it wasn’t always that great. There was a little while, I used to just take out all my anger and frustration on myself while I was here, alone.”_ _ _ _

____“What do you mean?”____

 _ _ _He’s silent for a moment, his eyes unmoving, looking out over the field._ _ _

____“I used to cut myself.”____

 _ _ _I slowly raise my head to stare up at him, before straightening myself out so that I’m level with him. Something in me, some protective instinct, instantly has me filled with worry._ _ _

____“Why?” I ask, unable to think of anything else to say. He shrugs, still not looking at me._ _ _ _

____“It was just something to do. It made me feel better. Or at least, I thought it did. Didn’t last. I’m pretty sure Luke was starting to catch onto me, and I didn’t want him to send me to some rehab center.”_ _ _ _

____“How did it make you feel better?” I ask slowly, still trying to comprehend everything. He sighs, looking as if he’s not even sure himself._ _ _ _

____“It made me feel like… I was in control. It felt good that I was doing something I knew my parents would despise, and they would never know. I don’t know, I guess in some fucked up way… by hurting myself, I felt like was hurting them.” I stare at him intently, wondering what in the world could have been so bad in his life that he wanted to do that. “I still have a few scars, but they aren’t that noticeable anymore.” He glances at me, and apparently reads my expression, because he offers his arm to me. I gently take it, pushing the sleeve of his jacket up slightly to see his forearm. “See?” He traces his finger along his wrist, and I gaze closely at his pale skin, trying to see where he gestured for me to look. It’s a little difficult in the dark, but sure enough, I am able to just make out a small array of thin white lines along his wrist._ _ _ _

____I run my thumb over one of them, holding his arm close to me._ _ _ _

____“Did you… ever try to…”_ _ _ _

____“No, I never wanted to kill myself,” he answers my unasked question. He reaches up to touch the side of my face, dragging my attention away from his wrist. “And I don’t do that anymore. I only did it for a few months when I was fourteen or fifteen.” I nod, though still feeling a bit sick at the thought of him hurting himself. “Did you ever think about anything like that?”_ _ _ _

____“What? Cutting?” He nods. I shrug, shaking my head. “A few times. But I think most teenagers do. I never seriously considered it or anything though. Mostly I would just think about running away.” Kylo nods, laughing._ _ _ _

____“Tell me about it,” he agrees._ _ _ _

____“Force, it was all I could think about sometimes,” I tell him, grinning. “After I met Finn, we would spend hours sitting at this wall at the playground at our school and just come up with all the different ways we would runaway one day when we were older and live together in all these crazy places, see the world… we never knew we’d get what we wanted one day.” Kylo nods, his eyes boring into mine._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, me either.”_ _ _ _

____We look at each other, the weight of everything we had just shared with each other finally sinking in. We move at the same time to tightly embrace one another, practically crushing each other, but not minding in the slightest._ _ _ _

____“I love you, Kylo” I tell him without a hint of hesitation._ _ _ _

____“I love you,” he repeats with the same absence of uncertainty._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____We spend a couple more hours out here, crawling back down form the rock and going to lay out on the field. Kylo turned on the radio in his car and turned it up so we could hear from out in the field. We talked for a little while longer while laying out on the cool grass, looking up at the abyss-like sky. Eventually, talking turned to kissing, and kissing started to lead to other things, and pretty soon, I was shivering profusely while my bare back lay on the frigid grass because I somehow lost my shirt in all of this._ _ _ _

____“We should probably… at least go in the car,” I manage out as Kylo kisses along my chest, his teeth sinking into the top of my breasts every once in awhile and making me jump._ _ _ _

____“Why?” he asks, his mouth not leaving my skin._ _ _ _

____“Because this feels like we’re in the beginning scene of a horror movie,” I tell him honestly. “What if there is some psychotic farmer who owns all this land… and he was burned alive years ago, but somehow survived… and now he spends his days murdering people who trespass on his property.”_ _ _ _

____“Did you come up with that off the top of your head?”_ _ _ _

____“Well, it sounds like something you’d watch, right?”_ _ _ _

____“Probably.” He props himself up on his hands, still hovering above me. “There’s no one out here. The state owns all of this, but they don’t send patrols out here or anything. Nobody ever comes out here. Trust me, I made sure of it years ago.” I nod, consideringly. “But,” he says, beginning to stand and suddenly wrapping his arms underneath me and lifting me off the ground. He manages to grab my shirt as well. “You do deserve to be comfortable while I find different ways to pleasure you.” I giggle, curling against his warm body as he carries me back to the car._ _ _ _

____“Then again, it will be tough to go back to society so soon,” I admit._ _ _ _

____“Well, technically we won’t have to deal with it until tomorrow,” he assures, me, setting me in the car._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _

____I carry her up the stairs and into my room, my lips hardly ever leaving hers the whole way. I get to the bedroom, drop her onto the bed and crawl on top of her, ripping away her clothes as fast as I can, my mouth moving down to kiss between her legs._ _ _ _

____“Wait,” she says quietly, sitting up a little straighter and pushing me away gently. I look at her to see an indecisive, almost nervous look on her face. “Um, maybe I could… can I do it for you this time?” I stare at her, completely taken aback as she bites her lip, her eyes traveling down my body._ _ _ _

____“You don’t have to,” I reassure her. She shakes her head, leaning forward, her hands reaching out to undo my pants._ _ _ _

“I want to,” she replies, freeing me from my jeans. _Oh stars… _I needed to get out of these pants yesterday.__

________I lay back down on the bed while she climbs on top of me, pulling my jeans and boxers off. She reaches her hand between my legs and gently strokes her hand along my dick. I close my eyes, gritting my teeth as I painfully harden by the second. She leans down onto her elbows, her head between my thighs, looking unsure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s ok if you need to stop,” I manage to grit out, grinding myself against the bed. A small grin appears on her face when she sees how much she’s affecting me. Her head slowly dips between my legs and her lips trace along my head._ _ _ _ _ _

______I have to grab onto the side of the bed to stop myself from thrusting right into her face. Her tongue tentatively traces around the tip of my cock, teasing me without even knowing it, and soon I feel her small mouth beginning to move down my shaft. My hands jerk up to grip the bedpost while a low groan escapes my throat. I feel her mouth, her tongue, the gentle grazing of her teeth, all driving me practically insane with lust._ _ _ _ _ _

She gently begins sucking and I feel my cock twitch in her mouth. She moans in surprise and I can’t help but jerk my hips up a little, my eyes rolling back from the sensation. Her hands slowly stroke up and down my thighs as she works her mouth around me. I guess she’s a little inexperienced, but Force, it feels _amazing._

__________I feel myself start to get close, and I don’t want to blow my load down her throat and choke her, so I gently push against her chin, lifting her off me. She raises her head, looking about as dazed as I feel, and I quickly guide myself in between her legs as she spreads them over mine after getting rid of her clothes. I lean up, pulling her close to me, feeling her small breasts against my chest. I thrust furiously into her and she rides me, gasping as her nails dig into my shoulders when I drive myself deeply into her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I release inside her, gasping in pleasure and she looks down, grinning to herself in incredulity. I take myself out of her and kiss her passionately on the lips, holding the back of her head tightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Did that feel ok?” she asks, sounding doubtful. “I’m sorry, I’ve never-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I silence her with another kiss, smothering my lips across her mouth assuringly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You are amazing,” I tell her, dragging my hands through her hair. She stares at me and gives me the cutest smile I’ve ever seen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I grab ahold of her hips and lay her down beneath me while I straddle on top of her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And now, for you,” I say mischievously, running my fingers up along her thighs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	35. Chapter 35

Kylo P.O.V.

The weeks passed quickly leading up to our planned trip to Six Flags. Probably because I was half dreading it. Mostly because I had no idea what I was supposed to do at a fucking amusement park. But it ended up going better than I thought it would. It was nice to stay the night at Rey’s place and then get up early to head over before the crowds got there. Rey and I sat in the back of Poe’s buick and she dozed off a couple times, slumping onto my shoulder before quickly shaking herself awake.

I will admit, the day was pretty cool. Rey and Poe excitedly drag me to every single one of the rides while Finn trails nervously behind us, staring up at the towering rides with uncertainty. It was pretty hilarious. And I forgot how cool some of the rides were. And it was also loads of fun seeing Rey screaming her head off and laughing at the same time every time the rides sped up or went upside down.

We went to a bunch of shows where dolphins lept out of the water and people balanced things on their heads and whatnot. Then they tried really hard to get me to try soft serve ice cream because they insisted it tasted better than normal ice cream. I tried some of Rey’s chocolate and vanilla swirl thing, but it still tasted overwhelmingly sugary.

We ended up staying until almost ten pm, mostly because Rey and Poe want to go on that Medusa ride over and over and end up getting back in line several times in a row, each time as if it were the first time they’d ever ridden it. Finn and I follow along, but after a while he has to sit it out because he starts to get dizzy. Not form the roller coaster, but from running back around to the line a thousand times.

We head back after dark, with Poe blasting some Maroon 5 CD most of the way. According to the glowing response that gets from everyone else in the car, I’m in the minority in not caring for it.

Of course, it’s been getting darker and rainier out now, which has always put me in a slightly better mood. There’s something fascinating about the feeling when the world becomes thoroughly painted in a cold grey, darkening every inch of everything, making it look vastly unfamiliar in the drastic change of lighting. Rey had told me she liked it because it felt dangerous and exciting. I would have thought she’d no doubt prefer bright and sunny weather, but she admitted she likes both. I’m glad I’m not the only one who enjoys the gloomy weather, because according to everyone else on the damn planet, I’m insane. 

Christmas is rapidly approaching now, and I usually don’t pay it too much mind anymore, rather than being grateful for the time off work. But this year, I unwillingly admit that I’ve started to feel that strange excitement people get around the holidays. The warm buzz in the air when the music starts playing all the time, lights and decorations coloring almost every building, that quite distinct smell in the air that is somehow there to constantly remind you what holiday is approaching. I didn’t realize it until now, but I’d missed that excitement, it’s been somehow absent for so long. But most of all, I’m overjoyed that I am going to spend it all with Rey.

She’s been much more elated than usual, which is certainly saying something. She’s all bubbly and excited, eagerly rushing over to my house or dragging me over to her place to watch every single Christmas movie they’ve been playing on tv. I happily obliged when she excitedly suggested we deck out my house with Christmas gear. We spent hours at the store gathering a ton of lights and decorations for inside and outside, which is something I never thought I would catch myself dead doing. But doing it with her of course made it perfectly enjoyable. We spent all morning the first Sunday of December decorating the house. I’m sure my neighbors are wondering what in the hell has gotten into me, and I find myself wondering how this beautiful woman managed to bring out this surprisingly relieved change in me. 

I don’t know how she makes everything so much more amazing to experience. But throughout this month, I’ve found myself wishing it could stay December all year round. I’ve started considering why I had ever thought life could be so shitty.

“What’s wrong?” she’d asked, giggling as we hustled inside to the warmth of the house after spending all morning decorating in the chilly winter air. She’d noticed my expression, staring at her half in wonder and half in deep desire. She hugged my sweatshirt that she’d kept from that night snugly around her, shivering a bit from the chilly air in the house. Her hair was slightly disheveled from being outside all morning, but still looked soft and circled her smiling face that could light up the darkest room.

I stepped closer to her, taking her face in my hand and running my thumb over her lips.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I had answered without a hint of hesitation. She blushed, turning her head bashfully, but I held her firmly in my hands, leaning down to lovingly caress her lips with mine.

* * * 

I plop down onto the couch next to Rey as she sips her hot chocolate, curling up with one of the blankets I had to get down from one of the cabinets. I turned the heater on earlier and had a fire going in the fireplace because downstairs gets pretty cold in this house during the winter.

I reach out and pull her closer to me as she shivers, clutching the mug as if it were a lifeline.

“How are you still cold?” I question incredulously.

“I told you, this always happens during the winter,” she answers, her eyes staying on the tv. “This will help though.” She takes another long sip from the mug. I shake my head, grinning, and turn back to the tv. It’s Christmas Eve, so we’re watching A Christmas Story with all the lights off, aside from the ones hanging around the tree sitting over by the windows.

We had spent most of today at my parents’ house having dinner. Of course, the house was showered in Christmas decorations that Rey was ecstatic over. I’m sure my mother appreciated that greatly. It remained civil and I even had something closely resembling a conversation with Han that ended in a solid, if somewhat grim, handshake. That’s more progress than we’ve had with each other in years.

I gaze down at my lovely little Rey, once again bewildered at how much she has affected me. 

“What did you used to do on Christmas morning?” I ask her.

“Before I met you you mean?”

“Yeah.”

“I used to spend the night with Finn and Poe. Or they’d come over to my place. We never had a Christmas tree, but whoever was hosting would leave presents by the fireplace once everyone was asleep.”

“Oh. Well, are you… is being here ok?” She shifts and turns to look up at me.

“With you?” She reaches up to cup the side of my face. “Kylo Ren, I couldn’t think of a place I’d rather be more.” I lean down and kiss her firmly on the lips. 

“You sure your friends won’t be missing you too much?”

“Hell no! Actually, it’d probably be nice for them to spend Christmas alone with each other. Poe already told me they’re going to be going at it practically all night long.”

“I see,” I say, reaching my hand under the blanket. My fingers curl under her shirt to caress her bare stomach. “And… what will we be doing this evening?” 

“Um…” she stutters, trying to scoot away from me and balance her hot chocolate in her hands at the same time. “You’d better stop unless you want this all over your couch.”

“Answer me first,” I grin, keeping a grip on her arm and continuing to stroke her bare skin. Her pointed gaze meets mine. 

“Why don’t you take me upstairs and find out?”

That’s all the thumbs up I need.

 

The next morning, I get up extra early so I can get everything set up downstairs. I’m careful not to wake up Rey as I crawl out of bed and creep down into the living room. 

Rey had told me that back at her second foster home, the parents would always have homemade cookies set out by the tree on Christmas morning along with all the presents. They would also have bacon for breakfast.

I’d bought a set of cookies from the store that seemed to be fairly easy and quick to bake. I hope they’re the kind she likes, because I don’t eat this stuff often, so I don’t know what the hell is supposed to be good. I did however know what kind of bacon is best, so I know I’ll at least nail that part.

I have the cookies baked in just twenty minutes and am able to keep everything extremely quiet. The only trouble I run into is when I’m frosting them because I’ve never done this before in my life. I try looking at the picture on the box, but I can’t get it to look right. I end up taking almost fifteen minutes just to frost the damn things, being sure to keep it light on a few of them because I might want to try them. I grab the green and red sprinkles that are supposed to go on top and put them on. I’ve never understood the point of sprinkles. Do they even taste like anything? But, it’s how Rey told me the cookies looked like, so I want to get it just right. 

Once I’m done, I set the plate full of cookies on the coffee table that I moved along with a few sofa chairs so that they’re near the tree. I clean everything up, check the time, then go back upstairs to wake Rey.

I lay down beside her, brushing my hand down her arm. She stirs, and I lean down and place my lips on her soft hair, kissing her awake. 

She turns onto her back, blinking up at me in confusion at first, then smiling.

“Merry Christmas,” she whispers quietly. 

“Merry Christmas,” I say, running my hand along the side of her face. I kiss her again on the forehead as I get up and gently lift her up off the bed.

“What are you doing?” she asks sleepily as I walk out of the room and to the stairs, cradling her in my arms.

“You’ll see,” I tell her, walking down the stairs. “Did you sleep ok?” She nods then rests her head against my chest.

“It smells good down here, how did you….” She trails off, staring down at the large plate of, if I do say so myself, very festive looking cookies sitting on the coffee table. Her eyes grow wide with an emotion I can’t read as she stares down at them while I set her back on her feet. “Kylo, did you… how did… when…?”

“I remembered what you told me about your foster home and how much you loved Christmas mornings there, so I thought maybe if you had something to remind you-”

She practically jumps on top of me, throwing her arms around my neck and crashing her lips against mine, I stumble back a bit before curling my arm around her waist and returning her kiss.

“I don’t even know what to say,” she whispers breathlessly. For a second I think I see tears in her eyes.

“I think you’ve said enough,” I laugh. She grins, bringing me down to kiss her again.

“You made these yourself?” she asks as we sit down and she takes one off the plate.

“I did.”

“I thought you hated desserts.”

“Well, I did my very best to follow the instructions given on the back of the box. It was a struggle, but I think I might have succeeded.” She takes a bite out of it and turns to me after savoring it for a moment. 

“Kylo. You are officially the most perfect man anyone could ever ask for.” I grin warmly. 

“I take it I’ve done well then?”

“Yes,” she assures me, taking another bite and closing her eyes in ecstasy, making me laugh.

“Are they as good as the ones you used to have?”

“Better.” She might by lying, but I know she’d deny it if I ask.

After she and I have eaten most of the batch (yes, I did have a few, they’re actually not bad, probably because I made them), I give her her present and she gives me mine.

She opens hers to find a black jeweled necklace that she says is perfect, and I open mine to find the impossibly expensive Friday the 13th set I’d been interested in. 

“Hurry up and get that open, I want to see what’s inside,” she says eagerly while she clips her necklace into place.

“Well should we have breakfast first?” I ask, glancing over at the counter. “What time will Finn and Poe be here?”

“Not till this afternoon. What are we having for breakfast?”

“Rey, there are two packs of greasy, fatty, unhealthy smoked bacon sitting on the counter with our names on them.”


	36. Chapter 36

Rey P.O.V.

“Ugh, I miss being on break,” Finn groans as we continue sorting through the massive amount of paperwork that had stacked up over the time we had off. “How has this all piled up over one week?!”

“Because, that is the way the world works,” I tell him resignedly. “Now you see why I used to take some home over the break. So that we wouldn’t have this mess to come back to.” 

“Point taken. But, I think you had a much better time without it.” I grin sheepishly.

“Ok, ok. Look, you can let Poe know that he was right when he told me how great it is to have a boyfriend. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to ride that high horse.” 

“He already is. He’s just holding back from rubbing it in your face.” I grin, shaking my head. “You almost done with your class?” I frown, staring down at the table and pretending to focus closely on the paperwork. 

“Um… yeah. The finals are getting pretty close.” He nods, but I can tell he knows something’s up.

“Is… everything ok?” I nod quickly.

“Yeah, everything’s…. Look, I know you’re not buying it, but I really don’t want to talk about it right now.” 

“Come on, Rey,” he says, putting the papers down on the table. “I’m your best friend, since when can you not tell me something?” I sigh, biting my lip. He’s right.

“Can you keep this on the downlow for now? I really don’t need everyone knowing.”

“Of course.” I grit my teeth, already feeling my face start to heat.

“Ok. Well, Mr. Evans… the professor… he kind of… asked me out.” Finn’s eyes nearly pop out of his head.

“ _What? _”__

__“Yeah. I said no of course, but he’s made it clear he’s interested. And to be honest he hasn’t exactly… backed off over the past few weeks.”_ _

__“What does that mean?”_ _

__“I just mean, it seems like he feels I still might come around or something. I don’t know, maybe I’m just being paranoid or something, but it just feels a little weird.”_ _

__“Have you told Kylo?” My eyes wander down to the table guiltily._ _

__“No. I didn’t want him to worry.” I look back up at Finn. “Should I?”_ _

__“I would want Poe to tell me if someone he saw on a regular basis was interested in him.” I nod._ _

__“I know. I’d probably want him to do the same, but… I don’t know. I’m really kind of embarrassed about it all to be honest.” Finn sighs, leaning back in his seat._ _

__“Well, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to. Normally I’d tell Poe at least, but I know you don’t really want to call attention to any of this.”_ _

__“It’s ok, you can tell him if you want. I just don’t want it to be a popular topic of conversation.”_ _

__“Got it. No one shall know about the forbidden love affair between you and your professor.” I punch him on the arm as he laughs._ _

__* * *_ _

__“Can I ask you something?” I inquire, looking over at Kylo. We’d been sitting on the couch in my living room watching tv for the past couple of hours. It’s Wednesday night, so I’m assuming he’ll be going home soon, even though I know he doesn’t want to._ _

__“Yes,” he replies, turning to look at me._ _

__“Why did you change your name?” His gaze drifts down to the floor, looking for a moment as if he’d rather not answer, before glancing back up at the tv._ _

__“I told you. Because I didn’t want everyone to know who I was.”_ _

__“Is that all?” I press, knowing there must be something else. “You just didn’t want people to know who your family was?” He sighs, looking back over at me, no doubt knowing I’m not going to let up._ _

__“No,” he finally answers. I take his hand in mine. “I guess that wasn’t all of it.” He leans up against the arm of the sofa, his hand running through his hair, looking as if he doesn’t know how to explain. “I guess maybe I wanted to… be a different person. I was convinced that if I changed my name and cut myself off from everyone, I could kind… start over. Maybe pretend like I wasn’t apart of all that shit from the past.”_ _

__“But weren’t you named after the man who helped your family?” He nods._ _

__“Yes, but I didn’t see it that way at the time. Being named after him almost made it… permanent. A constant reminder of what I was apart of and the possibility that I might go through the same exact thing my grandfather did. I didn’t care who I was named after, I didn’t want any part of it.” I grip his hand tighter, feeling him start to drift off someplace cold and frightening._ _

__“Do you still feel that way?” He shrugs, shaking his head._ _

__“I don’t know. I haven’t let myself think about it for a long time. I took my new identity and moved on.” I stare at him, running my thumb across his hand._ _

__“But you haven’t moved on,” I tell him. He looks over at me. “You’re still afraid.” He stares back at me, confirming what I’m saying just by the look in his eyes. I reach up to run my hand through his hair. “Ben, I know that this scares you,” I tell him. “But it doesn’t have to. I know you, and you are not a bad person.”_ _

__“Maybe not yet,” he says pointedly. I can tell he’s trying to hold something back._ _

__“Ben, tell me,” I continue. “Tell me why you’re still so afraid.”_ _

__“Because everything could change in a second, Rey!” he suddenly exclaims. “One day I could wake up, and everything will be different, I won’t know right from wrong, I won’t be able to control this burning fucking rage I feel inside me and I know exactly what will happen if I let it out for even one moment-”_ _

__I quickly reach and turn him to face me, stroking my hand through his hair again._ _

“I’m not going to let that happen to you,” I promise him. He doesn’t answer me, but instead looks down at me as if he wants to say a million things, but can’t. “I know you think you’re alone in all of this. But you’re not. I’m not going to leave you. We’ll find some way to get past this.” I sigh, looking down at the couch. “I’ll be honest, I have no idea how, but I’m sure between the two of us, we’ll be able to find _some _way.” This at least gets him to chuckle a little. I lean my forehead against his. “It’s ok to be scared, Ben. But you can tell me anything and I’ll help you. I’ll always be here with you.”__

______I lean forward to gently place my lips on his and he slowly kisses me back, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me onto his lap._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Thank you, Rey,” he says quietly, his lips grazing across the side of my face._ _ _ _

____“You’re not mad I used your other name?” I ask, my hands reaching up to caress down the back of his head. I feel him smile against my neck._ _ _ _

____“It’s kind of sexy when you say it,” he admits._ _ _ _

____* * *_ _ _ _

____“I think that’s everything from the GuideLife fundraiser,” Leia says, filing all the papers I just handed her away into a drawer. We had spent the last few days out in Takodana selling a bunch of Valentine’s Day merchandise in order to raise money for the GuideLife foundation. Our budget increase has definitely improved the quality of our fundraisers._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, I’d say it was a success,” I answer, staring off at nothing, a million things racing through my mind._ _ _ _

____“Rey?” I snap my gaze back over to Leia._ _ _ _

____“Yes?” She crosses her arms, studying me._ _ _ _

____“Is everything alright?” I nod after a moment._ _ _ _

____“Yeah. Why?”_ _ _ _

____“You seem… distressed.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m not distressed,” I answer, shaking my head. She doesn’t buy it. “I think I’m just tired.” She slowly steps around her desk, walking up to me._ _ _ _

____“Is everything going ok? With you and Ben?” I hesitate to answer and she slowly nods in understanding. “What happened?”_ _ _ _

____“Nothing… everything’s fine, really. It’s just…”_ _ _ _

____“You can talk to me, Rey. He’s my son, it’s nothing I haven’t heard before, I’m sure.” I bite my lip, still hesitating to answer, and I suppose she’s somehow figured out what’s going on. “He told you,” she asserts, making me stare at her unsurly. “He told you everything about his grandfather.” I nod, my eyes wide with question. She raises her eyebrows to herself. “He certainly does care about you.”_ _ _ _

____“I know he does,” I answer, feeling a little better about bringing this up to her. “It’s just… I don’t know how… I’ve never done anything like this before. He seems so alone sometimes, like he doesn’t want to tell me how he feels. I don’t know if I’m helping him, I want him to know that I care about him and that he can tell me anything and that he doesn’t have to be so angry all the time-”_ _ _ _

____“Rey,” Leia interrupts calmly, placing her hands comfortingly on my arms. “Of course he knows you care about him. If he thought you didn’t, he wouldn’t love you as much as he does.” I shake my head, about to tell her I have no idea what I’m doing, but she takes my hands in hers. “You have done more for him than I ever thought possible. He’s always been cut off from everyone else, pushed everyone away, ever since he found out about his family history. He didn’t want to be connected to anyone, just in case… well, I suppose you know the story.” I nod, shuddering internally at the tragic thought. “And maybe that did cause him to be alone and feel alone. But Rey, you’ve… changed him. Maybe you don’t see it, but I do. Everyday you are a reminder to him that he is capable of being loved, and that’s something he didn’t believe in for a long time.”_ _ _ _

____I stand there, letting Leia’s words sink in. I slowly smile to myself in astonishment as she grins back at me._ _ _ _

____“Now, it’s late,” she says. “You’d better get home.” I nod slowly, grinning broadly._ _ _ _

____“Thank you,” I tell her, everything graciously beginning to make sense to me._ _ _ _

____I exit her private office, heading back toward the elevator to go back to the floor. A wave of emotions rushes through me as I wait impatiently for the elevator to arrive at the floor, running my hands through my hair in disbelief. All those months before, I thought Kylo Ren was a moody, arrogant, uncaring man who pushed everyone away because he didn’t care who he hurt. But that was never the case. He just didn’t want to risk hurting anyone at all._ _ _ _

____I practically sprint out of the elevator and down the military hall, skidding to a halt at the first workroom I come across, bursting in through the door._ _ _ _

____I’m greeted by a small group of people sitting at panels, probably getting some last minute work done, who all stare up at me in shock when I barge into the room. Phasma and Hux are across the room, looking at some kind of chart, and stare at me in a mixture of concern and confusion._ _ _ _

____“Where’s Kylo?” I ask as calmly as I can. A strange, unsure silence fills the small room as everyone continues to gawk at me._ _ _ _

____“He’s in the private office,” Hux answers after the brief silence, staring at me with a careful gaze, as if he’s not sure I’m about to explode or not. “Last door down the hall.”_ _ _ _

____“Thanks,” I answer, quickly shuffling out of the room before things can become any more awkward. I rush down the hall, my eyes fixed on the last door. I barge in through this one too, my racing mind refusing to consider the possibility that I might be disturbing someone._ _ _ _

____Kylo glances up from whatever he was working on, quickly stepping around the desk at the back of the room and approaching me, looking as if I am the last person he would have expected to burst in through the door._ _ _ _

____“Is everything alright?” he asks, his eyes narrowing as I meet his stride. I collide into him, throwing my arms around him and pulling him close to me, my face nestled snugly against his neck._ _ _ _

____“I am in love with you,” I tell him, just as confidently as he had that night at the party. I feel his strong arms hold me tightly against him, his chin resting on my shoulder._ _ _ _

____“I’m certainly glad to hear that, little scavenger,” he replies, chuckling slightly. “Is there… something that brought this lovely outburst on?” I shake my head, closing my eyes._ _ _ _

____“I just wanted to make sure you knew,” I sigh, deciding not to relay my conversation with Leia._ _ _ _

____“I do know,” he says, rubbing his hands down my back. “And I’m glad to hear you say it.”_ _ _ _

____We pull away after a few moments and Kylo’s eyes suddenly grow somber with desire._ _ _ _

____“I’m going to take you home and make love to you now,” he informs me. I nod in agreement._ _ _ _

____“I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard all week.”_ _ _ _


	37. Chapter 37

Kylo P.O.V.

“I ordered pizza for dinner,” Rey says, plopping down on the couch beside me, her hair still wet from her shower. “I hope that’s ok with you.”

“Sounds fine,” I answer, reaching up to brush through her hair. “How does that work when you live in an apartment, do they still deliver it to the door?”

“Oh, yeah,” she answers. “They don’t make us go down to the lobby to pick it up.” She leans over, swinging her legs onto my lap and kissing my cheek. 

“How was your class?”

“Ok.” I get the weird feeling she's not telling me something, but quickly brush it off. 

“Are you going to make me go home tonight?” She sighs, looking thoughtful while I slowly plant kisses along her arm and up across her collarbone, gently pushing her back to lay down on the couch.

“I don’t know,” she answers, somewhat breathlessly. “Perhaps I could be convinced to let you stay.”

“And how could I convince you?” I inquire, reaching under her shirt and tracing my fingers along her waist. She grins mischievously, then laughs, ducking out from under me and scooting off the couch, too fast before I can grab onto her. “Hey!” I exclaim as she takes off, running across the room, still laughing tauntingly. I leap off the couch and see her leaning against the dining room table, smiling brightly. I walk over towards her and she quickly steps back behind the table, daring me to come closer. “You’re asking for it, Rey,” I warn her. She just laughs, holding her ground. I walk up to the other side of the table, mirroring her movements either way she turns. “I have you now, you might as well surrender.”

“I can’t make it _that _easy for you,” she responds.__

“When I get ahold of you, you’re gonna wish you never ran away from me, _scavenger _.”__

“I’ll believe it when I see it, _Ben _.” I smirk at her.__

___________“You know I don’t like it when you tease me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“You love it.” She grins smugly, but I just stand back, crossing my arms over my chest._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Take your time, my love. I’m going to be right here waiting to take you right back over to that couch.” She bites her lip, looking around for a way out. I grin, knowing she won’t find one. But boy, if my little scavenger isn’t determined._ _ _ _ _ _

______She darts to the left, leaping out from behind the table in about a fraction of a second. I lurch forward to grab ahold of her arm, but she speeds away just in time. She doesn’t have many places to go though due to the small apartment, working to my advantage. She may be fast, but she can’t sprint around me for too long._ _ _ _ _ _

______I charge toward her and she laughs, sprinting toward the kitchen, but I grab ahold of her waist and yank her back over to me._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Told you!” I declare triumphantly as she shrieks, kicking her legs out while I carry her back over to the couch. She tries her best to wriggle out of my grasp, but there’s no way I’m letting go._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ok ok, you win,” she laughs as I lay her down on her stomach and lay myself on top of her. I make sure I lock my legs around hers and pin her arms above her head so she can’t try to escape again. She turns her head to the side. “Are you satisfied?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I will be,” I reply, sliding my hand up her shirt. “Once I’m through with you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, is that so?” she asks, trying to edge away from my touch. She suddenly squeals loudly as I tickle her along her side. “Kylo, I swear, if you-” She screams and thrashes again as I continue tickling her._ _ _ _ _ _

______“There’s nothing you can do about it my love, so I suggest you just lay still.”_ _ _ _ _ _

“I am going to _kill _you!” I slide my hand out from under her shirt and lay down on top of her, my lips brushing against her ear.__

__________“Don’t you want to wait to see what I plan on doing with you first?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Not if it involves tickling me,” she laughs, though her voice has grown noticeably quieter as I press my hips up against hers. I feel myself hardening as my thighs close around her waist. As if acting on its own instinct, my body moves to thrust my hips up against hers. I hear her breath catch in her throat and she freezes for a moment before I jerk my hips against her again and she begins rubbing herself against the couch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do you like that?” I whisper, desperately trying to contain myself from ripping her clothes off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes,” she gasps as I rut my hips against her again. I rub my center up against her backside, my hands traveling down to the hem of her jeans. I slowly raise myself off of her so I can lift her hips to undo her jeans._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I manage to pull them off, followed by her underwear, and throw the articles of clothing somewhere across the room. She gets up onto her knees as I free myself from my jeans._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Is this ok?” I ask hesitantly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes,” she answers quickly, but sounding a bit hesitant. I spit onto my hand and try to lube myself up as best I can, then position myself at her backside._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s probably going to hurt a little,” I manage out, gritting at my throbbing erection._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That’s ok,” she answers, pushing herself up against me. I take ahold of her hips and slowly begin to enter her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Ok, just let me know if I’m hurting you.” She nods and her head soon drops down to the couch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I go as slow as I can, stopping whenever I hear her gasp or wince in pain. I grip her hand in mine as I ease my way into her. She crushes my hand a couple times to signify when I need to slow down. She groans in pleasure once I’m inside her and I wrap my arm around her waist and run my hand down her center. I move quickly inside her, ramming my hips against hers, as she gasps at the unfamiliar sensation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I continue rubbing her center, reaching my other hand up to clutch her breast. She begins moving her hips with mine, her hand reaching up behind her to grasp the back of my head, pulling at my hair and making me moan._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I hold her body close to mine as she trembles through her orgasm, myself following shortly after. We’re both panting heavily, our bodies covered in a fine sheen of sweat, as I gently pull myself out of her and lay her down on the couch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Are you ok?” I ask, my chest heaving and my head dazed. Rey murmurs unintelligently in response, making me chuckle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That was… really nice,” she whispers, still lying limp on the couch. I grin, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of her head before getting my jeans back up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We both jump when a loud knock suddenly sounds on the door. I stare wide eyed at the door, completely caught off guard._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Holy shit, it’s the pizza,” Rey hisses, snapping her head up to look at the door in horror._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Damn, that’s some fast fucking service.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Give me my pants!” she whispers as I jump up from the couch, furiously trying to get my own pants back together. I rapidly search around the room to wherever the hell I threw her clothes. I run over and snatch them up off the ground and leap back over to the couch, handing the to her. She starts to sit up, then suddenly stops, her eyes going wide. “Oh my… Kylo I can’t move.” _Well, fuck._

____________My eyes land on a blanket lying on the other small couch. I grab it and quickly cover her with it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Just pretend you’re sleeping,” I tell her quietly when the pizza guy knocks on the door again. She looks doubtful, but quickly pulls the blanket tighter around herself, making sure she’s completely covered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The money’s on the counter,” she whispers, covering her face with the blanket. I walk over and grab the money off the counter before going to answer the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Luckily everything goes pretty smoothly, though it’s possible the delivery guy was wondering why I look and sound as if I just ran a marathon. Or just had sex._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I close the door and turn back to see Rey stick her head out from under the bundle she had made for herself before she sighs a bit in relief. I set the pizza box down on the counter and open it up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I hope your double cheese and mushroom is worth it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh stars, Kylo, we are terrible.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hey, I’m blaming him. Pizza never gets delivered that fast. I think they were trying to catch us with our pants down. Literally.” She laughs to herself, burying her head in the couch. “You’re really that sore?” I ask guiltily as I pull her up into a sitting position, her flinching as I do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m ok,” she promises as I help her into her jeans. “I just feel kind of strange.” She pushes me away and hobbles up on her own, walking a bit awkwardly over to the kitchen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m sorry,” I apologize, though can’t help myself from snickering a little bit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, it’s all good,” she says, grabbing a slice of pizza from the box. “I’m quite capable of handling you, Kylo Ren.” I grin, approaching her and wrapping my arms around her waist, and burying my face in her neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You’re beautiful,” I tell her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Thank you, so are you,” she answers back through a bite of pizza. “Now are you going to indulge, or will I be eating this all on my own?” I sigh, looking up to stare at the pizza._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Only if you let me stay the night.” She sighs in exasperation. “I promise I’ll let you sleep. But I want to sleep with you.” She leans her head back on my shoulder, her eyes wandering up toward mine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ok hotshot, you can stay.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________* * *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I head down the stairs toward the kitchen, feeling somewhat more upbeat than usual. Which is weird because I’ve hardly seen Rey all day today. She had to stay late at work again. I remember she used to do that practically every night before we were together. It’s hard to believe that was almost an entire year ago._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I go over to click the tv on, which happens to be on the news station where they’re talking about the body of yet another young girl no one even knew went missing. I’ve had about enough of that so I change it to some comedy channel where they’re playing The Office. Not my favorite, but it will do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I switch the oven on in the kitchen and grab my phone off the counter. I take the steak I was supposed to eat tonight out of the fridge while clicking on Rey’s contact._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She picks up on the second ring, sounding a bit out of breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yes?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hey,” I answer, trying to cut open the steak with one hand. “What are you doing?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I am just walking out of the elevator. You will not believe the amount of budgeting I just did, Kylo, I am seeing nothing but numbers and dots right now.” I laugh, finally ripping the packaging off the steak._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, can you come over tonight?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That could be a possibility. What is the occasion?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m making dinner. And I wanted to ask you something.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh. Well, that’s very generous of you my dear, but I’m really not ready for marriage at the moment.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, damn,” I sigh sarcastically. “There goes my whole pitch.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I know. In all seriousness though, I would love to come over tonight. I just need to stop by my apartment first and grab a change of clothes, because I assume you’re not going to let me leave once I’m there?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You’d be correct.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“In that case, I will be there very shortly. Love you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I love you too, hurry up, I haven’t seen you all day.” She laughs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ok, I’ll be there soon, keep your pants on.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Haha.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Kylo!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I hang up my phone and quickly shove it in my purse as I head across the street to the parking garage. Unfortunately, since it’s about nine thirty on a Friday night, it will probably take me twice as much time to drive all the way back to my apartment and then all the way over to Kylo’s. I’ll be lucky if I make it in under and hour. I’m not sure why he wants me to come over so late or what in the world he wants to ask me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I walk up to the level where my car is parked, hugging my arms to myself against the cold, because once again, I made the odd decision not to bring a jacket even though I know I’m always freezing as soon as the temperature drops below seventy. I see someone getting out of their car out of the corner of my eye, but think nothing of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Why couldn’t he just ask whatever he wanted to ask over the phone? _I wonder to myself._ It must be something at least semi-serious. Could something be wrong? _It takes me a couple seconds to realize something is wrong, but not with Kylo.__

__

__

_______________The footsteps that have been following a few feet behind me suddenly slow, matching my hesitant pace. I glance down at the ground, staring at the shadow behind me. I keep walking, keeping my eye down at the figure. It continues following me, but doesn’t make any sudden moves. They’re almost _too _casual.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I walk a little faster, but hopefully not to the point where it’s noticeable. The person keeps following. I glance up to see that I’m a little further than my car than I’d like to be. It’d probably be a good idea to somehow fish my keys out of my purse now before I get there._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I turn back to look through my purse, but freeze when I see my follower has taken advantage of my distraction._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________A strong arm reaches around me and crushes against my chest before I can take off running and I’m suddenly pulled roughly up against the person’s chest as they reach their free hand around to push something against my mouth and nose._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________My heart practically races out of my chest as adrenaline surges through me. My brain fights enough against the sweet, chemical like aroma for me to realize both their arms around me means their ribs are open. I jab my elbow into their side as hard as I can, causing them to loosen their grip on me enough to allow me to turn around and knee them in the stomach._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________My attacker grunts in pain and falls to the ground as I turn and sprint to the car, not even bothering to try and get a look at whoever it is._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I get to my car, keys in hand, and unlock it before leaping in, slamming the door and locking it behind me. I grab my phone out of my purse, about to call the police, but then drop it, deciding I need to get the hell out of here first._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I push the keys into the ignition and am about to turn it when something crashes through window beside me, sending me ducking out of the way as best I can as pieces of glass splay through the car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I sit up and try to crawl as quickly as I can to the passenger door, but it’s a little difficult in the cramped confinement of the car. Someone reaches in and grabs my arm, yanking me back up against the broken window, holding me still as the cloth reappears over my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I claw at the hands restraining me as best I can, thrashing my legs out around the car to see if I can hook them on something and pull myself forward. No such luck. I reach one hand around the broken window, grabbing the frame and trying to yank myself back to see if I can push them off me. I might have succeeded, but my legs suddenly start to grow weak and my screaming grows quieter and quieter until it feels as if my throat has gone to sleep._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I try to shake myself awake as my eyelids start to get heavy, my arms suddenly falling limp as the strange chemical smell begins to overwhelm me. I don’t even have time to ponder what is going to happen to me before I feel my head fall back and the world go dark._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	38. Chapter 38

Kylo P.O.V.

After a while, I have to just eat dinner without Rey before I pass out because it’s getting pretty late and I haven’t eaten since lunch. It’s almost ten thirty, so I’m guessing she got stuck in traffic. She probably ate dinner at work, so I don’t feel too guilty about eating without her.

I sit on the couch and mindlessly watch The Office while I wait for her. I try to just pay attention to the show so that I’m not anxiously watching the clock and looking out the window, waiting for her to pull up. But of course, I’m more antsy than usual for her to show up because of what I have to ask her.

Once it gets close to eleven fifteen, I start to worry. I check my phone to see if she texted me, but there’s nothing. _Maybe traffic is worse than I thought. _I look back at the clock and then back at my phone._ But she left almost two hours ago… ___

__I decide to try calling her, hoping she might pick up if she’s just sitting in traffic. I tap my foot impatiently as it rings and I realize I’ve been biting my nails off for a while now. She doesn’t answer. I try texting her, but realize that if she didn’t answer her phone ringing, she probably won’t stop to respond to a text either. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. She has to be on her way. Maybe she just can’t hear her phone._ _

_No… something feels wrong. _I call her again at eleven thirty and text her a couple more times when she doesn’t pick up, thinking maybe if she keeps hearing the buzzing, she’ll at least pull over to tell me what’s going on. But she doesn’t.__

______The first thing I think of is that there was some kind of accident, causing me to try calling her again while I run outside to see if I can hear sirens. I don’t hear any, but I’m not sure if I’d be able to from here._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Rey, it’s me for the twentieth time,” I say when I get the voicemail. “Can you please answer your phone, I don't know where you are or what the hell is going on.”_ _ _ _

____I go back inside and can’t help from pacing back and forth, looking back at my phone every few seconds, the tv long forgotten, nothing garnering my attention except for the fact that the minutes keep ticking by with absolutely no word from Rey._ _ _ _

____Ten minutes to twelve is when I decide to get in my car and go over to her apartment, thinking of anything that could possibly be wrong on my way over. Traffic in the city doesn’t seem too bad for a Friday night, and there doesn’t appear to be any signs of an accident, thank fuck. Though I don’t know what the hell else could be wrong, which is beginning to terrify me._ _ _ _

____I race up the stairs as soon as I get into her building, knowing I won’t have the patience for an elevator right now. I remember what floor I’m supposed to stop at from the time she made me race her up the stairs all those months ago. I sprint down the hall to her room, unlock the door, and barge in, not bothering with knocking._ _ _ _

____It’s dark, but the shades on the windows are still open. I turn on the lights and look around, not seeing her purse or anything around. I check her room, the bathrooms, every corner of the place to see if there is any evidence she got here. But I don’t find her phone, her keys, or anything._ _ _ _

Now I know something is definitely wrong. If she never made it to her apartment, does that mean she’s still at work? _But she was leaving when I called her. Where the hell else would she be?_

________I try as hard as I can to calm myself down, pushing down the horrid surge of anger and fear beginning to filter through me. I have to stay focused. If she’s not here, I need to go back to the office. Maybe she forgot something and had to go back in and finish it. Maybe her phone died. Maybe she’s on her way right now. Something inside me knows none of these things are true, but that doesn’t stop my brain from trying to rationalize them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______I go back out to my car and head over to First Order, trying to keep my mind straight enough to drive without killing anyone. My hands practically crush the steering wheel the whole way over, and my turns are probably a little sharper than they need to be, but at the moment, I could give less of a shit._ _ _ _ _ _

When I pull up, I look over to see they’re just finishing up closing the building. _What the fuck?! _I pull up into the parking garage, deciding I should see if her car’s still here. I’m not sure why it would be, but I’m running out of options._ Her car wouldn't still be here. If the office is closed, she definitely left. _My blood suddenly goes cold._ Unless..._

I sprint out of the car and run straight for level three, where she usually parks, racking my brain for anyone who would want to hurt her. My thoughts land on Rob Leavy, but I doubt he would do something like _this _. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t put it past him. I run faster toward the upper level, my eyes nearly seeing red. If he did anything to her, I will_ end _him.__

__________________I finally get to level three and my eyes rapidly scan the small amount of vehicles still parked in the mostly vacant area. Since there aren’t too many cars here this late, it doesn’t take me long at all to find hers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I slowly walk towards the familiar honda, my feet feeling like lead no matter how fast I will myself to get over there. _She never even made it out of the parking garage…_

____________________A sick feeling washes over me as I approach the car and see glass strewn on the ground below, fallen from the shattered window. I step closer, afraid to look inside, but deep down knowing she won’t be there. I look in through the broken window, my hand touching against the empty pane. Her purse is sitting on the passenger seat, knocked over, it’s contents spilling out everywhere, as if it were thrown there in a hurry._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I grip the handle shakily, pulling open the door, causing some stray shards of glass to fall to the ground. I lean into the car, looking desperately for anything else. The keys are in the ignition. Just hanging there. My fingers brush against them until my eyes wander down to the floor of the car. I reach down and grab the cell phone lying there, bringing it up to me. I click it on to see fourteen missed calls and twenty three unread text messages, all from me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________I collapse back onto the ground, gripping the phone in my shaking hand, feeling as if my chest had just been ripped open. My free hand presses against the cold ground, closing around the jagged shards of glass. I grip the pieces in my hand, feeling each of them break my skin, warm blood soon dripping down my palm. I try to focus on the pain, willing it to bring me back out before I start collapsing into that dark place that pulls at my mind. But it doesn’t work this time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I close my eyes when my vision starts to get so blurry. I can barely see a thing and a loud ringing suddenly pierces through my ears. I bring my hands to my head, gritting my teeth. _Stop… keep it together… now’s not the time, damn it, calm down! _I grimace at the searing pain in my chest and try to breath steadily._ “Breath” _I hear Luke say in my head._ “Push away the pain… push the anger down… clear your mind… focus…” _I focus on that incessant voice I always thought would drive the life out of me, but now seems calming and welcomingly familiar.__

I finally unclench my jaw and am able to take a somewhat stable breath, gasping as if I hadn’t breathed in hours. I open my eyes to see my vision has steadied and the ringing is gone. I bring my hands down from my head to stare at the phone in my hands. _Ok. I know what I have to do. _I’m about to try to open up the phone to get to the contacts, but then remember I have no idea what Rey’s password is.__

I grip onto the random car I had unwittingly collapsed against and pull myself up. _Fuck it. I don’t need the number, I know where Finn and Poe live._

__Rey P.O.V._ _

The first conclusion I come to as I groggily open my eyes to a darkened, wood-paned room surrounding me, is that I’m back in the cellar at Unkar Plutt’s. My heartbeat accelerates as my eyes slowly open all the way to stare at the rotted wood ceiling above me. _No… this isn’t possible… how did he find me?!_

________________________________My body feels completely paralyzed, the only indication I’m still alive being my heaving chest, struggling for air as if all the oxygen has been sucked out of the room. The only sense that fills my brain is the damp, wretched, death-like aroma of the cellar. The cellar I thought I’d never see again. The cellar I thought I had finally escaped._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I vaguely hear some kind of muffled shuffling coming from the other side of the room. _That’s not right. I’m supposed to be alone. I’m always in here alone. _I try turning my head, enough feeling registering through my body for me to realize that I’m laying on some kind of extremely uncomfortable wooden surface._ Is this another nightmare? No… I thought they’d stopped. Why am I here?!_

I squint across the room where I can barely make out a figure dressed in dark clothing doing something at a table across from me. I try looking down around me and see that I must be on a table too. My eyes slowly rise up to my sides, where I see that I’m not in fact paralyzed, but tied down on the table, my arms spread to the side, my wrists held down with some kind of velcro straps, and my ankles tied together with the same material, secured to the end of the table. _What the hell is going on?_

I try to remember what I was doing, where I was before this. _Had I gone out to the junkyard across the school to gather more parts? Did I sneak into the garage at school to work on that bike I’ve been trying to fix up? Did I make it back to Plutt’s before dark?_

I close my eyes, turning my head back upright as it begins throbbing a bit. _No, that’s not right… what am I thinking? I left Jakku when I was nine._

__________________________________________I snap my eyes shut when I hear the person across the room turn to face me. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m smart enough to recognize I do not want their attention on me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________I keep my eyes closed as I hear them approach me, trying as best I can to slow my ragged breathing and try to appear as relaxed and unconscious as possible. I sooth myself by embracing the strange haze of confused subconsciousness that is still clouding through my head. I gratefully begin to feel myself start to slip away, back into darkness, the figure hovering above me watching me for a few more moments before turning and walking away, my consciousness fading along with their footsteps._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	39. Chapter 39

Kylo P.O.V.

I pound my fist on the door as loud as I can, not caring if I wake the whole building up. It’s almost one am, but I doubt Finn and Poe are fast asleep at this time on a Friday night. But if they don’t answer within the next sixty seconds, I won’t hesitate to break the door down.

Thankfully, after the third time I hammer on the door, Poe finally opens it, looking confused as hell.

“ _Kylo? _What the fuck are you doing?”__

“We need to talk,” I say, pushing my way past him into the apartment. “ _Now. _”__

______“What’s going on?” Finn asks, walking into the living room from the bedroom._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Have you heard anything from Rey?” I ask, doubtfully._ _ _ _

____“No, why?”_ _ _ _

____“What the fuck happened to your hand?” Poe suddenly asks. I glance down at my blood stained palm, having completely forgotten about it until now._ _ _ _

____“Nothing,” I reply dismissively. “Do you know Rey’s password?”_ _ _ _

“For her phone?” Finn asks. “I think it’s her birthday.” I quickly click open the phone that I’ve been clutching in my hand for what feels like hours and punch her birthday into the passcode. It opens and I rapidly look through to see if she called or texted anyone tonight. But the last call here is just when I called her. She must have gotten attacked just a few moments after I hung up with her. _What if I had stayed on the phone with her for just a little longer? I would have probably heard what was going on and could have gotten over there sooner…_

________“Fuck,” I hiss, slamming the phone back down on the counter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“Will you please explain to us what the hell is going on?!” Finn exclaims._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______It's hard for me to go step by step explaining what happened, but I manage somehow without flying into a rage._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So… the car was still there?” Poe confirms in a slightly trembling voice. I nod for the millionth time. Poe hasn’t done much the whole time I’ve been relaying the story, aside from confirm things I already have said. Finn hasn’t said a word the entire time, but a fearful, withdrawn look comes over his face, and he soon looks like he’s going to be sick._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Do either of you have any idea if there’s anyone who would want to hurt her?” I ask carefully, willing the agonizing rage to stay in check._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Fuck no,” Poe replies, his head dropping to his hands._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I need to see it,” Finn finally speaks up. We both look over at him questioningly. “We’re going over there, I need to see it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______I don’t know what more they need, I told them everything they should know. But then again, if one of them came to me with this information, I would need to go see it for myself as well. Yet all I can think is that we’re just wasting time we could be spending on finding her instead of going back to the place where she was taken._ _ _ _ _ _

______When we get there, I pull up right next to her car, stepping out with them, but turning my head slightly from the scene, focusing on keeping my consciousness intact. I see Poe stare down at the bloodied pieces of glass on the ground and then glance back at my hand. I ignore his knowing stare and go back to trying to force myself to continue breathing normally._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We need to call the cops,” Finn says shakily, staring at the broken window with horror._ _ _ _ _ _

“No,” I answer quickly. “If we just figure out who took her, I can go get her and _murder _whoever did this.”__

__________“Kylo, how the hell do you think we’re going to even begin to figure out who did this?!” Finn questions, his eyes suddenly wrought with fury. “Unless you have any idea of who would want to do this to her.” I don’t answer him, instead concentrate on reminding myself that slugging Finn in the face is not what I want to do._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, he’s right,” Poe agrees. Finn and I both stare at him in surprise. Poe shakes his head, looking over the car. “If we call the cops, they’ll make us sit back and do nothing while they go around following a million false leads until it’s too late.” I flinch as a jolt of horror sparks through me when I remember the bodies of all the girls that have been all over the news. _No… no, that can’t be it. Whoever’s doing that is going after runaways, people no one would know is missing. This has to be someone else…_

____________“But we don’t even have anything to go off of!” Finn exclaims. “The police have stuff they can use to get fingerprints to find out who the hell this is!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I seriously doubt whoever did this would be stupid enough to leave fingerprints,” I point out. “Unless this was a spur of the moment thing, whoever did this was smart enough to know when she would be staying late, by herself.” Poe shrugs, his eyes glazing over with a look of terror-filled realization._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We have to consider that’s a possibility,” he says. “That it was a spur of the moment thing. You know that… that happens sometimes.” Now Finn actually looks like he’s about to throw up, and honestly, I feel like I would be close behind him. I’ve heard many a horror story about people being kidnapped and forced into human trafficking who are never seen again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I quickly have to push those thoughts out of my head when my vision starts swimming and my head begins to throb._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Kylo?” I turn, jumping slightly when I see Poe’s hand on my shoulder, his eyes filled with concern. “You look like you’re about to pass out.” _You’re not far off._

______________“I’m fine.” He doesn’t look convinced, but probably knows he shouldn’t argue._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Look, I have an idea,” he continues, suddenly looking excited. “But we’re gonna have to wait until tomorrow.” I raise my eyebrows at him in disbelief, wondering what the hell he thought we’d be doing for the next twelve hours. Sleeping? _She could already be miles away by now…_

________________“What is it?” Finn asks, his eyes matching Poe’s eager expression. Poe stares up at the ceiling, leaning slightly to look diagonally toward something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“This parking garage has small cameras on every floor,” he answers, not taking his eyes of whatever he’s looking at. “They put them up about three years ago when people’s cars kept getting jacked. They thought they were being sneaky when they put ‘em in, but I could sniff them out right off the bat. That one right over there should give us a clear view of this level, if we zoom it in enough on the monitors.” Finn and I now follow his gaze, squinting to where Poe is gesturing. It takes a minute, but sure enough, I see the faintest hint of a red light glowing quietly in the stone structure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“And why in the fuck is this waiting until tomorrow?” I ask, turning back to glare at Poe furiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“It’s one in the morning Kylo, the office is closed,” he answers calmly. “But tomorrow, when the guy who runs the monitors comes in, I figure we can convince him to let us take a look.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“And how do you figure that?” Finn asks doubtfully. Poe looks back to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“By informing him that our good friend, Kylo Ren here, is a very close and personal asset to Snoke. And he would like us to take a look at those monitors. That, and the addition of a small bribe, should be enough to have him look the other way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Or we could break in and find it now instead of waiting for hours to go by,” I say pointedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Good luck with that. That monitor office is sealed tighter than a tomb, with a fairly decent security system to boot. Forcing our way in is going to do us nothing except land us in jail with a lot to explain, and that’s a situation I’m assuming none of us prefer to be in at the moment.” Shit. He has a point._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“If the monitors are recording everything, why hasn’t someone seen Rey being… attacked?” Finn inquires._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I doubt anyone is watching every single one of the monitors every second,” Poe explains. “Besides, if this one isn’t zoomed in well enough, I doubt you’d be able to see much happening in this area, at least from that angle.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“So what the hell are we supposed to do until morning, just sit back and wait?” I ask impatiently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“No,” Poe answers. “Tonight, we figure out what our plan is. Once we look at that footage and find out if this looked planned, how many people took her, and some kind of licence plate number, we’re gonna want to get going right away, so it’s best if we have a coherent plan for every possible outcome. We’re going to have to look into whatever we can to see what we’ll be walking into.” I briefly think of all the old weapons my dad kept from his smuggling days that are stashed somewhere in his garage. If needed, I could find a way to break in and take what I need, that is, hoping to everything holy that Han or Leia don’t catch me. Then we’d really be fucked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Ok, then let’s go,” Finn says hurriedly, heading back over to my car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“We’ll go back to our place,” Poe says, getting in on the passenger’s side._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I walk over to Rey’s car and grab her purse and keys, suppressing the dizziness that comes over me when the scent of her briefly washes over me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I stop to lean up against the car. _Calm down, damn it! _I close my eyes tightly, wincing as I remember feeling her small body pressed against mine, her sweet, melodious voice calming me whenever I felt lost or angry, the way her hair always smelled like the same kind of shampoo, how I could easily engulf her in my arms. When she used to like to push me down onto the bed and try to lock herself on top of me, and then laughed every time I would roll us over so that I was on top of her.__

____

____

_Where are you Rey? You said you would never leave me… you promised I would never be alone._

__

__

_________________“Hey,” I hear Poe say. My eyes open and I whip around to see that he somehow had gotten out of the car and walked up to where I was standing without me hearing a thing. “Maybe I should drive,” he suggests, staring at me with an understanding, yet slightly feared gaze. I blink a couple times and am stunned to realize a tear had fallen down my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I’m not sure what to do, so I just stand there a moment, grasping Rey’s things in my hand as if they were the last memory I have of her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It’s ok,” Poe speaks again. I look up at him, my eyes narrowed, but feeling my entire body trembling slightly. “It’s ok to be scared. I’m scared too. But I’ve known Rey for a long time. She’s smart and she’s tough. I know she’s not going to let anything happen to her. And we’re not going to stop until we find her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I want to believe him, but my mind won’t let me. Yet somehow, his practical, if somewhat theatrical way of speaking brings me back down to Earth, at least for the moment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I follow him back to the car and climb in the passenger’s seat while he takes the driver’s seat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________We spend the whole night planning out exactly how we’re going to go about this. Eventually, by five in the morning, we decide that if it is only one person, we’ll track the licence plate number and hopefully get onto some kind of lead from there. Most likely, the person will have changed the plate number, but at least we’ll be starting somewhere. If it’s more than one person, we can assume this is some kind of organization or something, in which case, I will get everything I can out of Snoke about all the underground businesses he knows about. Everyone knows Snoke used to be involved with some shady shit, but no one really talks about it, at least to his face. However, as I’ve proven to be a loyal and valuable asset to him, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get him to help us out. From there, hopefully I’ll be able to convince him that we need to go in and get someone out, but it’s unlikely he’ll agree to help us in that department. In that case, I’ll get him to tell us everything we need in order to storm whatever place we need to bust in to and what kind of weapons or disguises or fake passports, whatever we’ll have to have in order to get in and get Rey out. It’s a long shot, but we really don’t have any other resources._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I consider getting ahold of my dad and just telling him everything that’s happened. He might know how to track Rey down and get her out, and he definitely would, I know he really likes her. The only thing is, he might tell Leia, who will definitely call the authorities and probably crucify me for not doing the same. I know Han never keeps anything from her, and if he does, she knows right away. So I decide to just leave him out of this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The only other possibility is that this could be someone we know, though none of us can imagine who. I wonder if maybe there was something she wasn’t telling me about, someone following her around all the time or something. Maybe this was someone _she _knew.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________We’re at the office at six on the dot, not any of us looking as if we’d missed a wink of sleep. I don’t think any one of us would be able to sleep even if our bodies were about to pass out. I know if I were to fall asleep, it would be hell. It’s as if some wheel in my brain is constantly turning, making sure I don’t fall asleep where I know the slew of nightmares are waiting to overwhelm me. I never could imagine how it would feel to watch someone you loved die over and over in your head with no way to escape the grotesque images, nor did I think I would ever have to endure it. But I know that is exactly what’s waiting for me should I let sleep take me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

But even more sinister thoughts take over my mind as Finn, Poe, and I follow the anxious looking man back into his office after Poe gives him a generous encouragement and informs him of who I work for. I feel my heart hammering against my chest as we’re brought into a small room with a wall filled with small screens overlooking the parking garage. I can barely hear anything anyone is saying as every instinct I have suddenly wants to get me out of this room before we can look at the tape. _What if she’s already dead? What if whoever this is killed her right here before he took her? What if I’m about to watch her being murdered…?_

______________________I close my eyes, nearly gasping for breath as Poe makes quick work of finding what camera we need to look at and informs the man which recording we need to see. I force myself to pull it together before opening eyes to see one of the screens on the wall is zoomed in closely to reveal the section of the parking garage where Rey’s car is parked. Poe asks the man to leave the room as he begins fast forwarding to nine thirty pm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The man leaves, no questions asked, and Poe continues slowly going through the footage until we finally see Rey. We all nearly throw ourselves at the screens and Poe quickly puts the recording back to normal speed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________We watch as she walks to her car, looking unworried about anything, and then our attention is directed to someone getting out of their car just as she walks by. We study the figure unsurely. Whoever it is is dressed in dark clothes, gloves, and a cap covering most of their face. Our suspicions are confirmed when he begins following behind her. She slows a bit, glancing down unsurely toward the ground before continuing toward her car. She had seen them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Anger boils through me as the figure suddenly grabs her, putting something to her face until she jabs them in the ribs and knees them in between the legs before running off. Normally I would have grinned, but I know that something is about to go horribly wrong._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________She makes it into her car, but the figure looks as if they’re recovering fairly quickly. I look closely to see them grab something out of their jacket and run up to the car. They rear their arm back and smash the object into the car window, shattering it and making Finn flinch. I gaze in close to the screen, trying to see if Rey is ok. I didn’t see any blood in the car, but some of that glass must have cut into her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________There’s some kind of a struggle that we can’t see that well, but it looks as if the figure had grabbed ahold of her and held the chloroform up to her for a little while before her movements slowed and I see her arm, which she had managed to get out of the car, go limp._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________My nails dig into my palms, breaking open the cuts on my left hand that Poe had made me stitch up, as I glare at the screen showing the figure pull Rey’s unconscious body from the demolished window then drag her over toward the car he had gotten out of, throwing her in the trunk before getting into the front. Finn quickly jots down the licence plate number while Poe and I study the car to see if it looks familiar._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Well, now I’m more confused than ever, but in a weird way, I’m slightly relieved. It didn’t look like this was some underground criminal and it would be odd if this person’s intentions were to immediately kill her. _Then what the hell do they want? _None of us have been contacted, so it’s not a ransom. Whoever it is seems to want to keep it quiet. So it must be personal. Maybe Rey_ was _keeping something from me. But why? Why wouldn’t she tell me if she thought someone was this angry with her?__

__________________________“What do we do now?” Finn asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Look up that licence plate number,” Poe answers. “I doubt it would lead us anywhere, but you never know. If whoever took her was someone who worked in or around First Order, they might know about the cameras. But even if they don’t, it looks like this person did their homework.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Yeah,” I agree. “And when you’re planning to kidnap someone, you usually don’t keep the car you’re driving around in, or at least the plates.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Holy shit.” Poe and I look over at Finn who is staring wide eyed at the screens._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“What?” I demand, trying to look at what he’s staring at._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“The teacher.” We both stare at him in confusion for a moment, but something lurches in my chest as I suddenly remember that day Rey had come into the office extremely late after supposedly spending the evening at her teacher’s house._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Teacher, what teacher?” Poe asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Did Rey ever tell you what was happening?” Finn asks, looking at me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“No,” I answer quickly, my blood beginning to boil. “Why? What was going on?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Would someone please tell _me _what is going on?!” Poe exclaims.__

____________________________“Shut up!” I say without taking my eyes off Finn. “Finn, what the hell was happening?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“She told me that he asked her out, after she’d already been going out with you. She said no, but I guess that didn’t really deter him and she was starting to get a little weirded out-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ _Why the fuck didn’t she tell me?! _” I shout, maybe a little louder than necessary.__

______________________________“She said it was because she didn’t want to worry you. She even thought she was overreacting, but I have a feeling… I don’t know, that’s the only person I could think of who might have somewhat of a… I don’t know, motive I guess.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Shit, her teacher from the University?” Poe asks. Finn nods. “Well why didn’t she tell _me? _”__

________________________________“Because she knew how you would react!” Finn answers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“How would I have reacted?!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Both of you shut the hell up. We need to find out where he lives and get the fuck over there, now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“We don’t even know if it’s him!” Finn protests._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Well it’s the only lead we have, and like you said, there’s no one else, at least that we know, who would want to do this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Do you think he would keep her at his house?” Poe asks as we rush out of the office back to the car._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I don’t know, but we have to start somewhere. And if he’s there and we can’t find her, I’ll beat it out of him. It sounds like I need to anyway, even if he wasn’t the one who took her.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The next few chapters are going to get pretty violent/disturbing. Do not read if violence and gore bother you!

Rey P.O.V.

The next time I open my eyes, I remember exactly what had happened before I was knocked out. At first, I don’t know if when I woke up in the cellar was a dream or not, but looking around now, I know it wasn’t. Now that it’s morning (I think) with a sufficient amount of light filling the cellar I’m in, coming from the small windows lining the top of the wall across from me, I can clearly see that it’s not even close to what Plutt’s looked like. But I suppose, with the absence of light and the incredibly drowsy and somewhat delusional state I was in sometime last night, it would look fairly similar.

I’m still bound to the table, my boots and jacket are missing, and I’m already sore all over from laying on a wooden surface all night. I know that this should be my cue to start panicking, but my mind doesn’t allow it. I use this graciously lucid state to think up some kind of a plan. Whoever took me should be down here soon, probably any second. I don’t think pretending to be unconscious will continue to work for too long, and besides, I want some answers.

I don’t suppose my captor will make it easy for me to somehow get to those windows and try to call someone’s attention. The cellar looks like it’s mostly used as some kind of tool shed. I look down across from the edge of the table where my feet are tied to see a set of wooden stairs that must lead up to a door I can’t quite see from here. I glance back at the windows on the top of the walls. _Shit. They’re probably at the bottom of whatever building I’m in. No one would be able to see me even if I jumped up and down and banged my fist against them. Could someone hear me though? ___

__I turn my head to my left side to see that the table I’m tied to is up against the wall of the room. From what I can see, the only way in or out of here is up the stairs. This is somewhat of a good thing because that means I’ll be able to see whoever’s coming, there won’t be any surprises. But that also means I only have one way to go if I manage to get out of here, because the windows can’t be more than ten inches wide. No one’s getting through those._ _

__The first thing I have to do is figure out if I can get out of these straps, preferably before my captor comes back. I don’t see many places I could hide if I do get out, except maybe the side of the stairs, but that’s a longshot, seeing as my abductor presumably has peripheral vision. So I’m going to have to find something to attack them with, and given the array of tools in the room, most of them bladed, that won’t be too difficult at all. Then I realize they most likely have a weapon with them, so I am going to have to attempt to hide by the side of the stairs. I’m small, so perhaps if I hold still enough, I’ll be able to catch them off guard._ _

__I refocus my attention back to the straps holding my wrists down. I at least have to get out of these first before I do anything. I glance around to see if there is some kind of tool near enough for me to reach. No such luck._ _

As I try twisting my wrists out of the straps, I wonder who in the hell did this. I know I haven’t pissed anyone off _this _bad. This doesn’t seem like some kind of criminal organization or something, thank the stars. Then I’d really be fucked._ But who in the hell else…?_

I freeze what I’m doing, my eyes suddenly going wide. My mind suddenly recalls that I really have no idea where I am. I don’t know how far my abductor took me. I could be miles from the city. My brain starts to slowly replay the images of all the young girls that have been abducted and found weeks later, dead. _No… no, that’s ridiculous. Why would whoever’s doing that go all the way deep into Coruscant to take me? I’m not a runaway, people will know I’ve gone missing…_

__________My thoughts are sharply interrupted when I hear a door being unlocked and opened. I jerk my head forward to glance at the stairs, my heartbeat picking up sufficiently as I stare wide eyed at the wooden staircase, waiting for whoever it is to come down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I feel myself start shaking, almost uncontrollably as the person starts descending the stairs. I quickly try to calm myself down. I can’t let this person know they scare me. I have to keep my head straight or else I’m never going to get out of here._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I manage to minimize the shaking by the time the person has reached the bottom of the stairs, but my brain is still a bit too scrambled for me to recognize and then register who is standing before me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Mr. Evans?” I ask, my voice sounding slightly off, probably from whatever chemical he used to knock me out with._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He doesn’t answer, but instead stands there in front of me, shaking his head in dismay as if he were looking down at a disobedient child._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“What the fuck?!” I exclaim angrily after he still doesn’t say anything for a few more moments._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, Rey,” he chides, still looking at me with sorrow. “I had so much hope for you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Would you mind very much telling me what the hell is going on?” I demand. A strange part of me is relieved that my college professor is my captor instead of someone I don’t know. Then again, I guess I really don’t know him that well._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You were so different from everyone else,” he tells me, his eyes searching over me, looking remorseful. “You had some respect, you were smart, you had a nice job… you definitely deceived me.” _Deceived you?_

____________“Look, I don’t know what this is about, but whatever it is, I’d say you’re going a bit over the top,” I say pointedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I thought you weren’t like all those… filthy, disrespectful people. I thought I had finally found someone I could…” he sighs, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes hardening. “But no. You had to deny me. You had to choose to be with someone who’s just as greedy, manipulative, and vile as _you _are.”__

I stare at him in confusion, trying to comprehend everything he’s saying. Obviously, this is all because I didn’t want to be with him, I guess. But how in the world does he know about Kylo? _Kylo…_

___________________My heart nearly jerks out of my chest as I realize that, in all my focus on trying to figure out an escape plan, I didn’t even think about him. I stare off past Mr. Evans, my eyes filling with tears as a strange sort of sob escapes my throat. I guess this is the wave of panic that my body had been holding off until now. Because suddenly everything begins sinking in, most of all, the realization of the very real possibility that I may never see Kylo again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________I may not see anyone again. This guy obviously has no plans on letting me go. He’s either going to kill me or just keep me down here until I all but die. What else can he do? He can’t let me go free, and he’s fooling himself if he thinks I’m going to agree to live happily with him or something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I suddenly wonder what Kylo must be doing right now. I feel my chest tighten when I think about how scared he must be. I would be inconsolable if I didn’t have a clue where he was. _Will he think I left him? No, of course not… what if he never sees me again? What if no one ever finds me and Kylo, Finn, and Poe will spend the rest of his lives wondering whatever happened to me?_

__________________I feel the tears finally spill over my eyes, remembering what happened to Kylo’s grandfather. What he did once he found out his wife had died in childbirth. When he felt like he couldn't help her. When he felt abandoned and alone…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You have to let me go,” I say, terror trembling through every inch of my mind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I can’t do that,” I hear Mr. Evans answer, though his voice sounds miles away. _I have to get to Kylo. He has to know I’m ok before he…_

“You don’t understand,” I say, my voice thick with fear. “You _have _to let me go, I have to go…”__

“You have to go back to him?” he asks. I stare at him, fury coiling through me. “Yeah. I’ve seen you two together.” He finally moves closer to me, walking up beside the table, glaring down at me. “I didn’t think you’d be so stupid as to allow yourself to be with someone who _defiles _you in the way he does-”__

________________________“You don’t know anything about him,” I scowl through my teeth, my restrained hands itching to clobber him in the face. He walks off across the room, going through something on one of the tables._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I think I’ve gotten to know the two of you very well over the past few months.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I don’t care how much you watched us you fucking freak, you don’t know anything about me or him.” He turns, holding something in his hand and walking back over to me until he’s standing beside the table. I look down to see him holding a large knife in his hand that looks more like a small machete._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I thought I could love you,” he says sadly. “But you’re just like everyone else. So now, you have to die like everyone else.” _What the hell is he talking about? Everyone else?_

__________________________Realization slowly washes over me as he reaches down and cuts my shirt open with the large knife._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You killed all those girls,” I say, feeling a bit lightheaded. He leans back, staring down at me, looking almost proud that I finally figured it out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________I immediately try to jerk myself up from the table, pulling unsuccessfully at my restraints, wanting nothing more than to get as much of my body off this damn thing as possible. I feel my stomach churn in horror when I look below me and see the table covered in blotches of dark red._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I bled them out slowly, but I sedated them. Most of the ungrateful little brats didn’t even know what was happening. You however…” he grins, looking me over as if I were some piece of meat. “I think I’ll keep you awake.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Before I can sarcastically thank him and call him whatever amount of foul names I can think up, I feel the cold, steel blade dig into my torso, dragging a searing line across until it stops at my side. I clamp my mouth shut, groaning slightly in pain, but otherwise refusing to give him more than that. I’ve been cut with a blade before, a couple times when a shop owner or street dealer had caught me stealing parts from them and had been able to just slice me across the arm or leg with a switchblade. So the sensation isn’t totally new, but I’ve never had anyone drag it out as slowly as this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________I gasp a bit once he’s finished, panting slightly, but maintaining a fairly calm demeanor. Just as I suspected, he looks disappointed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I’ll give you a little time to take all of this in,” he says, going to put the knife back down. “You won’t be alive too much longer. I’ll probably have you finished by Monday. So do whatever you need to I guess. I’ll be back in a few hours.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Before he leaves, he walks back up to me and sticks some kind of needle in my arm before I can jerk away from him. I almost immediately feel a numbness start to spread over my body, my arms and legs going limp, as he heads back up the stairs. I listen until he closes and locks the door behind him, and then I’m left alone, the room suddenly very quiet, nothing but the throbbing of my wound and the warm blood slowly trickling down my body holding my attention._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________I take a deep breath. I try to sort through everything, figure out how I’m going to get out of here, murder that sicko, and get to Kylo before he does something horrible._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________But all my thoughts just sift through my brain in an incoherent jumble, my mind unable to focus on just one thing. All I can do is lay here until a wave of drowsiness starts to seep through me. Before the drug takes me all the way under, all my other thoughts and worries slowly fade until all I’m hoping is that Kylo somehow knows I’m ok. And that I’ll do everything I can to come back to him to hear whatever he had wanted to ask me last night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“The plates are from a car registered to someone named Joseph Landers,” Poe says, looking down at his phone after we’ve pulled up to the University. “It says it was bought in Kamino. Does that mean anything to anyone?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“No,” Finn answers. “I think the teacher’s name is Evans or something.” We all glance out the window at the University, me wondering how the hell we’re going to be able to get an employee’s home address._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You’re sure Rey didn’t tell either of you the address?” I ask again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“No,” Poe confirms guiltily. “She just told Finn that she was going over there that night, not a specific place or anything. Probably should have gotten that though.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Yeah,” I reply, trying to suppress my irritation. Had I been her boyfriend at that particular time, I would have asked her to give me the address just so I knew where she was in case anything like this happened. Hell, I should have done it anyway even though we weren’t together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I have a plan,” Finn suddenly says. We both look over at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Well, do share,” Poe says anxiously. Finn begins getting out of the car and Poe and I follow suit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“It might not work,” he clarifies, walking up to the entrance of the school, us following behind him and matching his rapid pace._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“If it doesn’t, we break in and get the address,” I state._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Yeah, but once again, that will have to wait until tonight,” Poe points out. “And we’ll risk getting caught and dealing with the shitstorm that will entail.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Worth the risk,” I reply as we walk through the doors and follow Finn to the administrations office._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“You two wait here,” he says as he keeps going, up to the front desk. We both slow to a stop, staring at him unsurely as he approaches the woman at the desk. “Excuse me?” he greets. The woman looks up and smiles welcomingly at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“How can I help you?” she asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I’m a student in Mr…. Mr. Evans’ class,” he says. “I have him for Anthropology. He invited me over to his house to help me study for the final, but he never gave me the address. I was wondering if you could give it to me, seeing as, I’m supposed to meet him tonight.” The woman looks at him oddly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Mr. Evans… well, Mr. Evans has gone away for the weekend. Surely he told you?” I can practically feel Finn’s eyes go wide in panic as Poe and I freeze, our breathing coming to a complete halt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Oh… um…. Right,” Finn says, recovering quickly. “Did I say tonight? I’m sorry, I meant next weekend. You know, I get all these teachers mixed up sometimes. No, I’m supposed to meet my… my gender studies teacher tonight. Mr. Evans is next week.” The woman grins, looking at ease again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Oh, don’t worry about it. We all get so busy around here, it’s a wonder we are able to keep track of anything.” Finn laughs in agreement. “I’ll pull up the address for you now, dear.” I hear Poe exhale in victory._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Thank you so much,” Finn grins, playing it up. “Goodness, I practically had a heart attack when I realized I didn't have it. You know, that final’s coming up, and I’m nowhere close to ready.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Believe me, you’re not the only one,” she says, typing something up on her computer. “This is a busy time for all our students. I don’t recognize you, are you a freshman?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Yeah,” Finn answers steadily, though I can tell he was caught off guard a little again. “Transfer, actually.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Ah,” she smiles. She jots something down on a piece of paper. “Well, I hope you’ve been enjoying the campus.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Damn, anyone could walk in here and get these people’s personal information,” Poe whispers in disbelief. “That’s a little fucked. They didn’t even ask him for ID.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Yeah, lucky for us,” I quietly remind him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________She finally hands the paper to him and he takes it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Thanks again, really. You have no idea how much you’re helping me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Of course, my dear. Good luck. Study hard.” Finn nods to her before turning around back to us and heading for the door. We’re about to follow him when the woman suddenly speaks again. “Can I help you two?” she asks, sounding a bit unsure. We stare at her, probably looking like deer in headlights._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Um… where’s the library?” Poe asks, though it sounds more like a timid suggestion rather than a question._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Just across the way,” she answers, still staring at us oddly, no doubt because she doesn’t recognize us either. “Right next to the computer lab.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Thanks,” I say quickly, turning before she can figure out something is a little fishy. Poe follows behind me and in a couple minutes, we’re walking out of the office with the address in hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________We scramble back into the car, me in the driver’s seat, Finn in the passenger’s seat, and Poe in the back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Here it is,” Finn says, handing it to me. “But what the hell are we supposed to do with it? If he left town, he definitely took Rey with him. Damn, I should have fucking asked her where he was going.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I doubt he told anyone,” Poe says. “And even if he did, it would most likely be a lie. You don’t go around tell everyone where you’re taking your captive. We’d be following a wild goose chase, probably miles away from where Rey actually is.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“He’s right,” I say, staring mindlessly out the window, gripping the paper in my hand. _Where the hell do we go from here? ___


	41. Chapter 41

Rey P.O.V.

I wake up, I’m guessing at least a few hours after I was knocked out with the drug. I feel like my bones have been replaced with lead and I can’t move my head an inch. I get the feeling that, even if I were able to, it would feel pretty horrible.

As my feeling begins slowly coming back, so does the burning across my torso. I push my head up off the table to look at it, and am not surprised when it feels like my head is splitting in two.

Thankfully, it looks like the bleeding stopped while I was out. It wasn’t really a deep cut, but I’m assuming I’ll be getting worse in the hours to come. I remember the report on one of the missing girls they found was that there incisions along her middle, chest, and thighs. I’m guessing he’ll do the same to me, and probably finish with my thighs because somewhere in the leg is where that vital artery is that makes you bleed out all the way.

I start to feel the panic again, but quickly push it down. _It’s ok. Kylo probably called the cops last night when I didn’t show up. _It’d be nice to at least know where I am. That way, when I get out, I’ll know exactly where I need to go. I assumed at first that I am just at Mr. Evans’ house, in some basement he has. If that’s true, then trying to get someone’s attention at those windows will be pointless. Hardly anyone drives by here, and the house is a perfect distance away from the street that no one would ever see me, especially since these windows would be at the bottom of the house.__

__I try to picture exactly what might have transpired last night and throughout the day. I guess, once it got late enough, Kylo might have gone to my apartment to see if I was there. Once he saw I wasn’t, he probably would have gone to the office. Hopefully, he checked the parking garage where, presumably my car is still there with the shattered window and all my things inside. Then he would have called the police._ _

__I doubt they’d be here on time, they won’t even suspect Mr. Evans. It appears that he’s been doing this for a little while now, so he’s probably got the hang of it. Maybe, eventually they would figure it out. I mentioned something to Finn about being slightly uncomfortable with him, but that won’t be much to go on if he tells that to the cops. Or more likely, no one will have any idea who took me. Which is why I have to find a way out of here myself, and fast, because apparently if I don’t, I’ll be dead in just a couple days._ _

__Speaking of which, I hear the door atop the stairs being unlocked and opened as I quickly straighten myself out, wiping any hint of emotion off my face before he can see me. I consider pretending to still be asleep, but that tactic won’t last for long, so we might as well get all this over with now._ _

__I look anywhere but at him as he gets to the bottom of the stairs and slowly walks toward me._ _

__“You’re awake,” he says, somewhat eagerly. “I see the drug was quite effective. It’s slightly stronger and obviously more fast working than the one I slipped in your wine all those months ago. I am sorry about that, it was supposed to take effect right away.”__

__I turn to look at him in disgust._ _

“ _You drugged my wine? _” I glower, though I don’t know why this would surprise me. He’s obviously demented.__

______“I had to test it out on someone. You happened to be available.”______

___I shake my head, turning back to stare at the ceiling._ _ _

____“You’re sick,” I say quietly, keeping my gaze away from him as he kneels beside the table._ _ _ _

____“I can’t believe you didn’t even suspect me,” he says, grinning._ _ _ _

____“Oh, excuse me if I didn’t immediately identify you as some psychotic maniac,” I spit at him. I know I probably shouldn’t egg him on, but I can’t help it. I’m fucking pissed._ _ _ _

____“Your mistake,” he shrugs. I guess he’s kind of right._ _ _ _

____“Well, it’s good to know I’m not a lightweight,” I say mindlessly. “Though I don’t suppose that matters much for me now.”_ _ _ _

____“No, it doesn’t.”____

___I almost scoff, but I barely have the mental energy. Then I almost hurl when he touches his hand to the side of my face._ _ _

___“Are you ready?”_ _ _

____“What happens if I say no?” I mock._ _ _ _

“You know, maybe I should consider sedating you,” he says, standing up to get whatever kind of knife he wants to use on me now. “Nobody else was as _mouthy _as you are.”__

________“You’re the one who wants me here,” I remind him. “If you want to knock me out, then do it. It’s no skin off my back.” I grimace internally at the disgusting irony of that sentence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“No,” he answers, approaching me once more, another very sharp looking knife in his hand. “It’s rather nice, seeing you in pain. Trying to keep your composure.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, could you at least tell me where I am? It would be nice to know where I’m spending my final moments.”______

___He shakes his head._ _ _

______“Sorry. It’s better if you’re kept in the dark for that.” I sigh in irritation._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What exactly is your plan here?” I question, trying to subtly keep the conversation going as long as I can, while simultaneously thinking of a way to get that knife from him. “You’ll kill me, and then what? Dump my body somewhere? You know people will be looking for me right, this isn’t going to be like all the other poor girls you snatched off the street.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“No one has any reason to suspect me,” he answers calmly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“They will now,” I promise him. “I told people about you. How weird you acted in class. How I passed out in my apartment after coming back from your house. Believe me, you’ve landed yourself in a shitstorm. If you let me go, I’ll definitely tell the police what you did. If you keep me and kill me, the people I’ve told about you will know.” I narrow my eyes at him. “And believe me, I know one of them who is going to fucking mutilate you.” He laughs as if I’d just told him a funny story._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh. Yes, your little boyfriend. I think I’ll take my chances.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“They’re not good.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Aren’t they?” he questions, sneering down at me. He places his hands on the edge of the table, leaning forward slightly. I glance nonchalantly at the hand holding the knife that is placed very near my currently immobile hand. “There is no evidence I’ve done anything at all. Regardless of what you told your friends, it’s my word against their, most likely, flimsy story. That is, if they even give it. Your boyfriend probably will come after me if he suspects me, but I’ve no fear of that. He’ll be spending the rest of his life in prison for attacking and attempting to murder an innocent man.”______

___He chuckles, almost to himself._ _ _

___"Or perhaps I'll find a way to pin this all on him."_ _ _

______I try to simmer down the anger shooting through me, but I fail. I shove myself up from the table, bringing my head crashing against his, sending him tumbling back away from the table, nearly falling to the ground but just managing to stable himself. He shouts in pain when my skull cracks against his, and yes, it did hurt like all living hell, but it’s worth every second of searing agony rippling through my head, because I know he’s feeling the same._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Kylo P.O.V._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I think we need to go over to the house,” Poe says, pacing around the floor of his living room.______

___Finn and I look up from the laptop we had been browsing through for the last hour. We’re trying to find anything else we can about the licence plate number, thinking it might be possible the teacher took her to Kamino, even though it’s unlikely. We were able to find an old address through lots of digging and were about to set up a plan to head over there._ _ _

___“I mean, we might as well, right?” Poe continues. “It isn’t too far from here, and we might find some evidence of something.”_ _ _

______“He probably would have cleaned up anything tracing all of this back to him,” Finn points out. “We might be wasting our time. He might have even left a false trail, just in case he thought someone was onto him.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“All of this could be a false fucking trail,” I say, slamming the laptop shut. I grab the paper with the address on it again, looking it over._ _ _ _ _ _

“Wait… false trail… holy shit.” 

Finn and I both stare at Poe, wondering what the hell is going on with him. His eyes widen as he looks back up at us. 

“What if he lied?” 

We stare blankly at him for a few moments until I slowly begin to catch on. 

“Maybe he is preparing for someone to be on his trail. Who’s gonna come snooping around his house if they think he’s off miles away at some elaborate hideaway?” 

_Fuck! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? I’m sitting here planning to go to fucking Kamino without even checking the house out first!_

__________I snatch up the paper again, standing from the counter and, for the first time, working out where this is. From the sound of it, it’s way out on the outskirts of Alderaan, east of the city, and must be on some kind of secluded private property. Of course. Perfectly out of the way._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I’m about to tell Finn and Poe to follow me back down to the car, but then feel an odd surge of guilt filter through me. I know how much they mean to Rey and how distraught she would be if anything happened to them. We need to think this through._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’ll go,” I say, folding up the paper and handing it back to Finn. They immediately start to protest, but I give them a look that effectively shuts them up. “I’m going to see if she’s there, if she is, I’ll get her out and let you guys know you need to get the cops over there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“How the hell are you going to find her?” Finn asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’ll ask him,” I answer. “If he doesn’t give me an answer, I’ll make him.” They seem convinced enough. “We don’t know how crazy this fucker is, that’s why we all shouldn’t go at once. I’m not sure what he’ll do.”________

___I grab my keys and head for the door, stopping and turning to look at each of them seriously, knowing how much I’m asking of them._ _ _

___“I’m going to go over there, and if you don’t hear from me in one hour… you should probably assume something went wrong.”_ _ _

________“That’s bullshit Kylo, if we all go, we can take this guy,” Poe assures me. I shake my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s too big a risk. He could be expecting us, we don’t know how much he knows. And then, since we didn’t tell anyone about this, Rey will have no one. So I am going to try and get her, but if I don’t make it, you two need to call the police and tell them everything we know. At that point, it will pretty much be confirmed that it was this bastard who did it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Who’s going to believe us?” Finn asks. “Really, think about it, we’d be calling the police, telling them about an abduction we’ve known about for over nine hours now, that our friend is off storming the house of the person we’re fairly certain, but not one hundred percent sure is the kidnapper, and that they need to get over there to help. They’re never going to go for that, if anything, we’ll be the ones arrested.”________

 _ _ _I was prepared for this._ _ _

________“I know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, you know?” Finn asks, looking agitated. “Well, thank the Force, because I’d be worried if you didn’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That’s why you’ll need to call my mother too.”________

 _ _ _They both stare at me oddly, as if surprised by the fact I even have a mother._ _ _

“Your _mother? _” Poe asks, dumbfounded.__

____

____

________“How and why are we supposed to get ahold of your _mother? _” Finn questions, sounding doubtful.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It should be easy enough,” I respond. “She’s your boss.”__________

 _ _ _If they looked flabbergasted before, it’s nothing compared to now. “She’ll believe everything you tell her, and if I’m involved, she’ll make sure the cops get into that house or else she and my dad will do it themselves. Now, do we have a plan?”_ _ _


	42. Chapter 42

Kylo P.O.V.

I try as hard as I can not to speed the whole way over, because getting pulled over is not an option at the moment. I’d probably just keep going anyway, and that could get me arrested, which would also fuck up this whole ordeal. Still, I end up flying through a couple of red lights and stop signs. It would really be ridiculous for me to stop and sit at a stop sign at a time like this. 

There’s a strange wave of emotions crashing through my brain at the moment while I try concentrating on getting over to Alderaan. My mind doesn’t know if I want to be angry, scared, or excited. Half of me knows it’s not wise to count on the fact that Rey will be there, but the other half of me is convinced there can’t be anywhere else she is. I _knew _something was up with this teacher, ever since Rey had gotten so sick from having just one glass of wine at his house, but I couldn’t figure out why or what his motive would be for drugging her.__

__I step harder down on the gas when I get onto a somewhat more open road, the car smoothly lurching forward. I think this might be the first time this uselessly extravagant car has actually come in handy._ _

_I’m coming Rey. Please know that I’m coming._

_______ _ _ _ _ _

____Rey P.O.V._ _ _ _

____My eyes blink open again after being sedated for the second time today. At least I think it’s still the same day. From the way the light is coming in from the small windows in the basement, it looks to be maybe around noon or a little after._ _ _ _

I now have three new slices along my stomach and torso, though they don’t hurt as much as they sound like they would. I’m not exactly sure how much blood I’ve lost so far, but it’s hard to tell since my wooziness could be due to the drug. It’s been getting harder to focus my attention on somehow getting out of here when I’m either being cut open or knocked out, but whenever I’m blessed enough to be alone for a few minutes, it’s mostly consumed with me pulling at these damn straps. _They can’t be _that_ strong. How the hell have they held out this long? _It’s even worse now that I can’t use my abdominal muscles without feeling like I’m being ripped apart, so I have to rely on arm strength alone. Also, lying on this table for about twelve hours hasn’t exactly been doing wonders for me either. I feel so bruised that the entire backside of my body is probably blue and purple.__

________I’ve tried keeping Kylo, Finn, and Poe as far from my mind as possible, because the slightest memory of them only makes me think I’ll never see any of them again, and that mentality does not help me right now. I especially try to not think about how Kylo must have felt whenever he realized something had happened to me. I can only pray that Finn and Poe, or Leia, or _somebody _is with him making sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Shit. I’m doing it again. _I take a few deep breaths as a lump starts to form in my throat and tears nearly well into my eyes._ This won’t help. You’ll see him again if you focus on getting out of these straps instead of crying about everything. I’ll get off this fucking table, I’ll find a way to get out of this cellar, and I’m going to find out what the hell Kylo wanted to ask me!_

__

__

_____________My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of someone entering the basement. I feel more irritated than scared and my head falls to the side, my eyes staring mindlessly at the wall beside me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I don’t suppose I could request a few more moments alone,” I say pointedly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No, I’m afraid not,” Mr. Evans answers. _Great._

________________“Well then can I at least have some water or something?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You’re going to be dead in a couple of days, Rey. And you’ll be passed out for a lot of that time. Basic living necessities seem a little contradictory, don’t they?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“You’re an asshole.”______________

___He grasps my chin and yanks my head back to face him. He’s about to say something, but I speak again before he can._ _ _

___“If you’re going to kill me, just kill me. Why are we prolonging this? Is it supposed to all end in some exciting finale? I’ll just bleed out, what the hell fun is there in dragging it out and wasting a whole weekend? Especially when you could be out doing something much more productive, like luring other women into your home and spiking their drinks.”_ _ _

___He says nothing for a long moment, but just gazes down at me, almost in confusion. For a second I think he may actually be considering my sarcastic advice. Of course I know the reason he wants to drag this out. He wants me to suffer, and of course there’s the sick psychotic part of him that enjoys the suspense of slowly killing a helpless human being, I guess. Once again, I’m just trying to irritate him._ _ _

______________He slowly smiles, looking at me smugly as if he knows something I don’t._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Are you sure your friends care about you as much as you think?”______________

___I squint at him in confusion, wondering where the hell that came from._ _ _

___“I’ve been watching the news all day. Keeping tabs you know… I haven’t seen anything about you.” I stare at him blankly, trying to register what he’s saying. “Don’t get me wrong, I was surprised too. I was sure your boyfriend would have called the cops last night.”_ _ _

___He shrugs, backing up from the table._ _ _

___“But no. Not a thing. No one’s looking for you.”_ _ _

___I stare off into nothing, trying to think of some kind of explanation._ _ _

___“No one even knows you’re missing.”_ _ _

_No. That’s not right. There’s no way, that doesn’t make any sense._

___________________“You’re lying,” I decide, looking back to meet his gaze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I have no reason to lie to you,” he tells me. “I don’t mean to make your last days _completely _miserable. But I just thought you’d like to know.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I’m suddenly hit with a wave of new thoughts that chill me to the bone. _Why wouldn’t Kylo call the police when I didn’t show up? He no doubt tried at least calling me if he didn’t go looking for me, right? What if he really does think I left him? What if I don’t get out of here and no one will even know I was murdered? What will Finn and Poe think happened to me? They _must_ know something is wrong. What if no one ever finds my body?_

__

__

_____________________I snap myself out of that insane line of thinking. This is probably exactly what Mr. Evans wants. For me to be desperately pondering these things in my last hours. That is his true method of torture, but thankfully, it’s one I can prevent._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I _know _Finn and Poe. And I know Kylo. If they haven’t called the cops, there must be a reason. Maybe they called some kind of private investigator or maybe they’re trying to find me on their own. But they didn’t abandon me.__

________________________“Fine,” I say, shrugging. “So I stand corrected, no one’s looking for me. I can’t imagine why, but you can be sure the word will be out when I don’t show up for work on Monday.”________________________

___He chuckles to himself, taking, what looks like some kind of large scalpel, off one of the tables across the room._ _ _

______________________“Well, you won’t have to worry about that,” he says. “You’ll be long gone by then.”______________________

___I push away the shudder that wants to ripple through me._ _ _

______________________“I suppose. Can I ask you something?”______________________

___He walks closer to me, weapon in hand._ _ _

______________________“Yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Why do you do this? I mean, I think I understand why you’re doing it to me, but… why all those other girls?”______________________

___I’m not really interested in a sob story about his childhood, but I have to wonder what the hell makes this guy snap. I might be able to use it to my advantage somehow._ _ _

He sighs, lowering the blade in his hand before walking over to lean against one of the wooden posts near the table and I crane my neck to look at him. He stares down at the blade, as if not knowing to explain. _He’s a college professor, explaining things should be his forte._

“You really don’t get it,” he states, sounding disappointed. _Well, obviously I don’t if I just asked you. _“You don’t know what it’s like to have to sit back and watch this… next generation act like a bunch of careless idiots. They think they’re on top of the world, but when the time comes, their incompetence will drive it straight into the ground. They have no respect, no… capacity to understand the world they’re inheriting.”__

__I shake my head in wonder._ _

_____ _

____

____

__

__________________________“Wow. I thought you were an Anthropology professor, not a Philosophy professor. And anyway, if you’re so displeased with your college students, why are you taking your problems out on a bunch of runaways?”__________________________

___He chuckles, as if amused I didn’t know the details of how to be a serial killer._ _ _

“I can’t just have student upon student disappearing, as much as I’d like that. Families would be down the school’s throat, and pretty soon, I would be out of a job. Too many questions asked, too many scandals, the school would shut down in a week if it had to endure what I want to dish out. So, I have to take what I can get. Go to the edges of the city, or around here, D’Qar, wherever, taking these self righteous people off the streets whenever I can.” 

Ok. So, if I’m not mistaken, ‘around here’ would mean Alderaan. Which means I am at his house, unless he has some other property out here, which is unlikely. 

I grin slightly up at him. _Thanks for that tidbit of information. Dumbass._

_________________________________“Why girls?” I question. “You’re not one of those killers with mommy problems are you? If you are, just don’t answer, because I don’t want to hear it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“I don’t know if you know this Rey, but it might enlighten you to know that seventy five percent of runaways happen to be female. So it’s just been luck of the draw so far.” He shrugs, looking me over, probably deciding where he wants to slice into me next. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m doing those brats a favor. Obviously no one cared about them, not enough to report them missing. And they probably would have ended up dead or in some dire situation equivalent to death.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Oh, yes. I’m sure they were _so _grateful for your concern.”______________________________

___He doesn’t answer me, but walks up to the table, still measuring me with his stare. I picture what it would be like to smash his face in.___

______________________________“I think we’ll do your legs next.”______________________________

___I’m about to tell him to go fuck himself, but then have to try to jerk away when he touches his hand to my thigh._ _ _

___“I have to warn you… this won’t be pleasant.”_ _ _

______________________________“Oh, as opposed to the wonderful feeling torture you’ve put me through already?” I ask in disbelief. “Don’t flatter yourself.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“I’m just preparing you,” he says, reaching to undo my jeans. “You might not be able to keep that indifferent facade going as long as you think.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“Try me,” I reply, trying to turn myself away from his hands, but knowing that’s pretty much pointless.______________________________

 _ _ _This is probably really going to suck, but I’m just going to have to grit my teeth and endure it. Maybe if I pretend I’m getting weaker, he might untie me. It’s doubtful, but a possibility. And I am really running out of options at this point._ _ _

______________________________We both jump when a loud knocking noise comes from, what sounds like, above the room. I freeze, staring wide eyed up at the ceiling, while Mr. Evans stands still, listening intently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________My heart begins racing in my chest as I realize he definitely wasn’t expecting this. I can tell he quickly recognizes my train of thought, because he races over to the table beside me, where he usually grabs those fucking syringes he’s been shooting me up with._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________My mind scrambles to try to decide something to do. Based on how far the knocking sounded from us, screaming won’t do me much good. Whoever it is is not only a good distance above us, but also outside. If I scream now, I’ll only piss Mr. Evans off, which doesn’t seem like a smart endeavor considering how panicked he’s becoming._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Fuck!” I hear him curse. I glance over to see what he’s doing, and am surprised to see him just standing there, looking frazzled. My adrenaline begins to rise even more when I realize he must not have any more of the knock-out drugs down here. _Holy shit. This is the chance I’ve been waiting for._

__________________________________We hear the knocking again, and he goes over across the room, grabbing something and walking back over to me. I realize my body has levitated as far off the table as I can get it, and I’m staring up at the ceiling as if it were my savior._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________I hear him rip a piece of tape off a role and he quickly shoves it over my mouth, pushing my head back down to the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“If I hear you make _one sound _, I will carve your mouth up until you are unrecognizable,” he promises me, gripping my hair at the roots and turning me to face him. I just glower at him, trying to yank my head out of his grasp. He releases me and turns to head up the stairs, not looking nearly as anxious as he just had a couple seconds ago.__

____________________________________I yank at my restraints, thrashing myself off the table, knowing these damn things have to come off eventually if I’ve kept pulling at them this long. Adrenaline surges through me, thankfully helping me to ignore the pain of the cuts across my stomach and my stiff limbs. I twist myself around every angle I can, seeing if I can slip my wrists out of the straps, or loosen the ones around my ankles and shimmy through them. I groan in frustration after nothing seems to be working even after, what feels like five straight minutes of prying at these damn things._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I stop for a moment, trying to listen to whatever’s going on upstairs. Over the blood pounding through my ears, I can make out voices, sounding as if they might be close to the door that leads in here. I can’t hear the voices well enough to make out who it could be. Whoever they are, they weren’t invited if Mr. Evans’ was as caught off guard as he was. _Come on, Rey, think! This is the part in horror movies you’re always yelling at the person for being so stupid! This is going to be your only opportunity, damn it!_

______________________________________My chest rises and falls in a blur as I struggle to catch my breath through the tape on my mouth and from the blood rushing through my body. I whip my head over to stare at my arm, my eyes going wide in realization._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________I turn my head back to stare straight up at the ceiling, my heart beating so fast, I can barely hear. I scoot myself down, bending my knees and pushing myself toward the bottom of the table as far as I can. I grunt in pain as the four slices across my middle suddenly sear with pain as my movement pulls at them. I shake it off, continuing to scoot down as far as I can until my arms are stretched up above me in a v shape on either side of my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________I push my face up against my arm, turning my head and scraping the tape against my upper arm. I repeat the motion over and over, hoping the tape will eventually catch on my arm and rip off. But the fabric of my shirt just allows the tape to run smoothly across it, not even so much as folding slightly out of place._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________I press my face harder into my arm, trying to to get the edge of the tape to fold over. I try moving my head in a different direction to maybe get it to fold up from the bottom, but I still get the same result._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

If I could curse, I would. I begin madly scraping the tape against my arm, feeling my face start to go raw. I keep going, anxiety swilling through me when I feel as if this is my last chance, that nothing else will work if this doesn’t, that once whoever’s upstairs leaves, there’s no chance I will ever get out of here. _Stop it, Rey. Just focus, that thinking won’t get you anywhere._

________________________________________I freeze when I feel the very corner of the tape peel back, just a centimeter. My eyes go wide and my heart pounds even faster as I scrape my face against my arm a couple more times and feel the tape finally catch on my shirt. In one movement, I yank my head away from my arm, ripping the tape from my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________I don’t hesitate. As soon as I’ve freed myself from the tape, I gasp, regaining my breath for one quick second before screaming as loud as I can, not stopping until my throat runs out of energy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	43. Chapter 43

Kylo P.O.V.

I park fairly far away from the house when I arrive, not wanting to give this guy a heads up, at least not yet. I don’t see a car in the driveway, but it could be parked in the garage. I get out of the car, a strange feeling of assuredness going through me. _This has to be it. She has to be here. I’m going to find her. ___

__Looking around, this seems like the perfect place a psychopath would want to take their victim. I’m guessing not too many people come down this street, and even if they did, I doubt anyone would find this well put together house suspicious at all. It looks pretty big, there must be some kind of secret room or basement where he’s keeping her._ _

__A gnarl of anger rises through my chest, but I quickly push it back down as I approach the house. I need to be careful about this. If I can just keep my shit together for five minutes, I’ll be able to get in there, somehow get this guy to clue me in to where he’s keeping her, beat the shit out of him, get Rey, and get the fuck out. But I need to keep my head straight until then. And the only way I can do that is to imagine all the ways I’m going to break this fucker._ _

__I step up to the door and try to straighten myself out before knocking. I’m sure I don’t look one hundred percent sane right now, but there’s not much I can do about that._ _

__I stand there for a moment, but no one comes to the door. It’s possible he won’t answer, but I know he has to be here. There’s no way, with a place as enclosed as this, he went away like he said he would. Poe is right, he was just trying to throw people off._ _

__I knock again after a couple more moments, and listen carefully to see if I can hear anything rustling around. Of course, even if he doesn’t plan on opening the door, he would still be rushing to make everything look in order, just in case it’s the police knocking. I briefly considered pretending to be some shady private detective or something to see if I could get anything out of him that way, but I figured that, if he had to plan out when to abduct Rey, he no doubt knows who I am and what I look like._ _

__I’m about to knock again when the door finally opens. I stare down at the man standing in front of me, looking for any kind of reaction from him when he sees me. He keeps his expression pretty neutral._ _

__“Can I help you?” he asks, sounding a bit confused._ _

__“Are you that professor from the college?” I ask him, trying to keep my voice normal. He crosses his arms over his chest. To my surprise, he doesn’t answer, but I take that as a conformation. “Rey Kenobi is in your class.” I carefully waits for his reaction, but he just nods casually._ _

__“Yeah. She is.” I stay silent, waiting to hear more, or maybe see if he uncomfortably glances off in the direction he may be hiding her. “Why? Is there something wrong?”_ _

__“Yes, there is,” I answer. “Me and a couple of her friends… we can’t find her, she’s gone missing.” He nods slowly, his eyes widening slightly._ _

__“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that. Was there something I could do to help?” I can tell he’s a bit suspicious of me, so I try to be as convincing as I can._ _

__“She was supposed to come over to my house on Friday, but… we kind of had an argument. It was pretty bad. When she didn’t show up, I thought maybe she was just mad. But I went over to her apartment to make sure she was ok, and she wasn’t there.” I don’t tell him about going back to the office, because if he knows I saw her car, he’ll know I know she was kidnapped. “Her friends seem to think she ran away, apparently she talked about it a lot when she was growing up…” He nods again, and I try to detect any glimmer of victory in his expression._ _

__“Are you sure? Rey doesn’t really seem the type to just take off without telling anyone. She’s a very responsible young woman.”_ _

__“I know,” I reply, having to push away the rage a little once again. “Could I come in?” I ask, doing my best to look as distressed and saddened as possible._ _

__“What did you want from me?” he asks curiously, ignoring my question._ _

__“You’re the last person we could think of who might have seen her last. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?” He stands still for a moment, his expression filled with concern. He steps back into the house, and I take this as an invitation to come in. I step in after him, walking onto the neatly polished floors of the modern-looking house. I turn to face him as he closes the door and steps back over towards me._ _

__“The last time I saw Rey was in class on-”_ _

__“Is Rey here?” I ask, thinking I could cut to the chase now that I’d gotten in the house. He stares at me for a moment and I finally see the slightest flicker of nervousness from him._ _

__“What? Why would she be here?” I continue keeping the distressed expression on my face while I glance around the kitchen and living room, trying to look nonchalant._ _

__“I wouldn’t be mad if she’s here,” I continue. “I just need to know that everything’s ok.”_ _

__“I understand that, but I’m still a bit confused as to why you think she would be here.”_ _

__“I know she came over here once. She told me. And she also told me you asked her out.” His expression doesn’t change, but it seems like it might be a little forceful now. I stay silent, waiting for him to answer._ _

__“It sounds like you need to call the police,” he replies. “She’s not here. I’m not sure why you think she would be. She didn’t go out with me, if that’s what you’re wondering.”_ _

__I take a step closer to him, studying him hard._ _

__“Did that piss you off?” He furrows his brow, looking a bit caught off guard._ _

__“Excuse me?” he asks in confusion._ _

__I step around him, looking around every corner of the hall, trying to see if there’s some kind of trap door hiding somewhere._ _

__“You know… I’ve been thinking about a lot of things… over the past few hours, worrying if Rey was still alive… you picked a good place out here. Very out of the way. Not too far from Coruscant. Right near Alderaan…” He turns to face me and I meet his gaze, my eyes narrowed._ _

__“I’m not sure you know what you’re-”_ _

__“I don’t know why you killed all those girls. I don’t even think I want to know why. But you covered yourself up real good, didn’t you? You put yourself out of the way… you know, I read something pretty interesting just a couple hours ago, Evans, is it? Or Landers, or whatever you’re calling yourself… there were a couple murders very similar to the ones around here over in Kamino a couple years ago. You didn’t happen to live over there at some time, did you?”_ _

__I can tell I’ve finally caught him off guard. He probably didn’t suspect me to dig into this as far as I did. Honestly, I didn’t believe it myself, I didn’t even tell Finn or Poe. But on the way over, going over everything… it all just clicked._ _

__“You’ve gotten away with this shit for who knows how long, and you played it all real smooth, I’ll give you that. I would never have suspected you. But you fucked up with Rey, didn’t you?” I step closer to him, letting a bit of the rage flow steadily through my tone now. “You couldn’t handle that she didn’t want you, so you had to put her in her place?” To my amazement, he still doesn’t break._ _

__“You’re obviously very upset about your girlfriend running away. I think you should leave or-”_ _

__“Where is she?” I demand, my hands already curling into fists._ _

__“You need to leave this house or I’ll call the police.” I laugh, shaking my head._ _

__“You and I both know you’re not going to call the police. Even if they arrest me, I’ll tell them exactly what you’ve done. Even if they don’t believe me, they’ll have to search the house. Do you think you’d be able to get her out of here in time?” Now I see a small glare of anger behind his eyes. “You’re only option is to kill me. And you can do that, but I have people who are ready to get the cops down here in less than an hour if I don’t come back. So, professor, I’d say you’re truly stuck.”_ _

__We both stand there, each waiting for the other to make the first move. He doesn’t have a weapon with him, that I can see, and I can tackle him to the ground before he grabs one._ _

__We stay like that for a while, until I decide we’re just wasting time. I’m about to jump on him and beat him to a pulp until he gives me an answer, when both of us snap our attention down the hall where a sharp scream suddenly pierces through the air._ _

__It was loud, barely even sounding muffled despite obviously coming from another room. And something inside me knows that it’s Rey._ _

__I take advantage of the brief seconds the teacher seems distracted and grab him by the back of the neck, throwing him against the wall and slugging him in the face a few times. Damn it feels good._ _

__He drops to the floor, knocked out for the moment, and I run to where I heard the scream. I stop in the large living room, looking around rapidly for any door on the wall or the ground. I finally spot one, half hidden in the corner of the wall. I would have thought it was just a spare closet if I didn’t know any better._ _

__I sprint over toward it, attempting to turn the handle, then cursing myself for my stupidity, realizing that it would of course be locked. I don’t have time to look for a key though._ _

__I slam my foot against the door, pushing all my weight into it. It jerks a little, but nothing more. I keep kicking, bashing the bottom of my foot against the strong wood. He put one hell of a lock on this thing, but lucky for me, I have kicked down doors before._ _

It only takes a couple more hits before it finally busts open. I look down to see a wooden staircase leading into some kind of basement. _I fucking knew it._

______I sprint down the stairs, hearing my pulse beating furiously in my head when I briefly consider what I’m about to find down here._ _ _ _ _ _

____I get to the end of the stairs, glancing around, what looks to be, some kind of tool room, until my eyes land on a table on the far right side, beside the wall. I stand in shock for a moment, my brain trying to process that Rey is in fact alive and lying before me in the room. I try to force my legs to work, but all I can do is stand and stare at her in a mixture of horror and relief._ _ _ _

____I can tell she’s trying to say something, but all that escapes her throat is a small cry. That finally breaks me out of my trance and I rush over to her._ _ _ _


	44. Chapter 44

Rey P.O.V.

I try to say something to him as he rushes up to me, looking me over, his eyes landing on my blood covered torso. 

“Kylo,” I say carefully, trying to pull his attention from that as his eyes slightly widen in concern, his hand hovering over my stomach in trepidation. His eyes slowly travel back to my face. I try to give him a reassuring look. _Now’s not the time. _“Where is he?” I ask as he begins pulling at the strap around my wrist.__

__“I knocked him out cold,” he answers before gritting his teeth and ripping the strap in two. I stare wide eyed down at my freed wrist. Normally, I would sarcastically tell him that he had only been able to do that because I just spent hours loosening it up for him. But, once again, now’s not the time._ _

__I quickly work on my other wrist while he goes to free my ankles._ _

__“How… how are you here?” I ask, twisting my wrist out of the strap while he rips the one holding my ankles together._ _

__"I'll tell you everything, but I'm going to get you out of here first." He rips the strap at my ankles and begins to help me up._ _

__It’s quite liberating when I finally have both my arms free. I push myself up from the table, ignoring how much that makes me feel like my spine is breaking, and swing myself off onto the floor._ _

__As soon as my feet hit the ground, I stumble right into Kylo’s arms, because apparently my body isn’t used to standing or operating after laying on a wooden table for hours on end. He quickly picks me up and heads for the stairs._ _

__“You came for me,” I state, confusion lacing my tone. He looks down at me._ _

__“Of course I did,” he answers with frustration. “Why on Earth would you think I wouldn’t?”_ _

__“I… I don’t know,” I answer. I’m still not quite sure this all isn’t some cruel hallucination. He holds me tighter in his arms and turns to head up the stairs._ _

__We make it up about three steps before someone appears at the doorway atop the stairs. Kylo and I both look up, but have no time to react before the person suddenly shoots something that hits Kylo in the side._ _

__He shouts in pain and I yelp as we fall back off the stairs, hitting the stone floor of the basement with a thud._ _

__I roll over onto my hands and knees and crawl back over to Kylo, who’s gripping his side in agony. I look down to see a stream of blood dripping from the wound, that also looks slightly burnt. I quickly figure the shot must have come from some kind of flare gun._ _

__I turn back just as Mr. Evans grabs a fistful of my hair, dragging me along with him as he walks toward the back of the room. I try thrashing myself out of his grasp, but am unable to without yanking half my hair out of my head._ _

He tosses me back onto the ground and kneels on top of me before I can get back up, his knees digging into my chest and pressing against the wounds on my stomach. I scream angrily through the pain, grabbing ahold of his wrist as he pulls something out of his pocket and sticks it in my arm. _Fuck!_

______Thinking quickly, I use one hand to smack him in the face, and the other to yank the needle out of my arm before all of the drug is injected in me. But even still, I begin to feel the wooziness curl through me, slowly beginning to numb throughout my body. My arms fall heavily to my sides, despite how hard I try to keep them working._ _ _ _ _ _

____Mr. Evans reaches to grab, what I soon see to be another large knife. He brings it down toward my face, but suddenly falls forward as Kylo tackles him to the side._ _ _ _

____I try rolling my body over to get my hands underneath me while I hear Kylo and Mr. Evans struggling across the room. I only manage to get onto my side, so I try pushing myself up with my right hand, but my limbs are refusing to work at the moment. I try to stay conscious and shake myself out of it as Kylo and Mr. Evans stand up, Kylo grabbing him and clobbering him anywhere he can get while trying to avoid the large knife being swung at him._ _ _ _

____For a moment, I don’t even recognize Kylo. It appears as if something in him has snapped, allowing some kind of beastly mentality to overtake him, mad fury pouring through every single movement he makes, no longer giving the pain in his side any thought, but rather seeming to feed off it._ _ _ _

____I look around for any weapon I can grab, but the drug still clings to my body, keeping me immobile on the floor. It should wear off soon, he didn’t get that much into me. But at the moment, my body refuses to come out from the paralysis._ _ _ _

____Kylo now has him in a choke hold and is pushing him down to his knees, his eyes scorched with rage, his mouth twisted into an animalistic snarl. Blood still flows steadily from his side. I stare at them in alarm, my breath freezing in my chest._ _ _ _

____Mr. Evans suddenly jabs Kylo in his injured side, making him grunt in pain, but he still manages to keep his grip, that is, until he receives two more quick, hard jabs into his wound, finally making him loosen his grasp enough for Mr. Evans to turn sharply around and bring the knife slashing down Kylo’s face._ _ _ _

____My scream stays paralyzed in my throat as I watch Kylo fall to the ground, his head cracking against the hard stone floor. I stare urgently at his, now motionless form, willing him to get up, but he doesn’t move an inch._ _ _ _

“ _Kylo! _”__

________My hands shake beneath me as I try pulling myself across the floor over to him, tears filling my eyes as my heart beat feels like it’s painfully being slowed to a stop._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______I feel hands close around my ankles and I’m roughly yanked back and turned onto my back. Mr. Evans kneels on top of me, the knife still in his hands, a line of Kylo’s blood dripping from it. The drug has mostly worn off, but I stay still so he leaves my arms free, deciding it would be better to catch him off guard._ _ _ _ _ _

______I force every instinct that tells me to run, out of my mind as he brings the knife closer to my face, tracing it over my lips._ _ _ _ _ _

“You will suffer for this, Rey,” he tells me, his eyes delirious with anger. I do nothing but return his gaze. “I am going to cut every limb from your body and I’ll remove your tongue so you can’t scream. Your death is going to be slow and endless. You’ll wish you _never _tried to run.”__

__________His words mean nothing to me. I’ve see nearly every horror film ever, there’s nothing he can think up I haven’t heard of before. Instead, I picture all the things I’d like to do to him, things that would make even him sick._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He suddenly grins with sick excitement, taking the knife from my face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“But not yet,” he says, leaning over me. “I won’t start on you for a little while.” He reaches his hand to grasp my hair and sharply turns my head to face Kylo, who looks like he’s starting to come to. “I want you to see what I’m going to do to him first.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________His words don’t register through my brain at first. They barely have a chance to. I feel a warm heat spread up through every inch of myself, until it turns into a burning uproar that feels as if fire is coursing through me, entering my mind and filling my bones. I barely even notice Mr. Evans leaving me lying here until I see him walking slowly over to Kylo’s helpless form._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I raise myself quietly up, standing shakily on my feet, my body alive with rage as Kylo stirs lightly. It’s as if my body is working without my awareness, grabbing some kind of steel bar off the table behind me, clutching it in my hands as Mr. Evans kneels down beside Kylo, saying something to him that I can’t hear. I can’t hear anything. Just a dull pounding in my head as some kind of ferol, protective instinct I didn’t know I possessed pulses through me, commanding my muscles into the direction they need to go, not a single other thought concerning my mind other than not letting _anything _harm the man lying a few feet away from me.__

__________A dark, ferocious snarl rips through my throat, and I lunge myself forward when I see the knife brought within an inch of Kylo’s skin. I swing the weapon, feeling it connect satisfyingly with something, not quite being able to see past the red mist suddenly blistering across my eyes, but trusting my instincts. I stand in front of Kylo’s body, crouched defensively as I analyze my adversary._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Years of practicing at the gym puts me at a great advantage to my current opponent, because he doesn’t even come close to predicting any of my movements. The bar I’m using is a little smaller than the sabers, but I quickly adjust my grip to accommodate it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I easily dodge any swing from the knife, landing several hits, but unfortunately, not on anything that breaks. Eventually I kick straight out in front of me, my foot hitting him square in the chest and sending him stumbling back, distracting him enough so that I can bring that bar down on his wrist, sending the knife clattering to the ground. I throw the bar down at my feet, choosing instead to leap on top of him, my nails digging into skin, my knees crushing against ribs, my teeth sinking in and ripping at whatever they can find._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We both fall to the ground. I lurch forward a bit, and he uses this to grab ahold of me and throw me off of him. I immediately jump back to my feet, ready to attack again. But someone leaps out from behind me, grabbing ahold of the attacker I just tried ripping to shreds and throwing him against the wall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I stare wide eyed as Kylo briefly glances back at me. I bright red line runs down the right side of his face, dripping blood, but it looks as if the knife just missed his eye. I feel myself suddenly snap back to Earth, my brain recognizing that Kylo is ok and standing in front of me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________In one glance, we communicate everything we need to each other. He nods quickly to me and I turn back to where Mr. Evans is stumbling up. Kylo grabs him by the back of the neck, yanking him forward and holding him still, then looking back over to me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I walk forward and jam my foot up into his face, hearing his nose crack. I keep kicking while Kylo holds his head down toward my oncoming foot, counting one for each cut he gave me and each girl he murdered. And damn it feels good._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kylo tosses him to the floor when I’ve about run out of steam. I can tell he wants to lay into him now, but I grab his hand and drag him behind me toward the stairs. I’d love to stay and beat this guy to a pulp, but I need to get out of this fucking basement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Kylo stumbles trying to keep up behind me, and I suddenly remember there’s blood gushing out of his face, practically blinding him, and his side just got hit by a flare. But to my amazement, I hear Mr. Evans beginning to get up and follow us, so there’s no time to slow down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We finally make it out as I kick the door out of our way. I quickly take in my surroundings and see we’re in the living room, so I make my way in the direction I know the door is._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I hear him coming out of the basement behind us, but don’t turn back to look. I sprint faster, Kylo struggling to keep up beside me, but managing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We turn the corner to the hallway that leads to the front door, and I barely even register that there’s someone there. My body just tells me to keep running, despite my eyes seeing Poe standing in front of us holding a baseball bat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Duck!” he yells to us. Kylo and I hit the deck and I hear Poe swing the bat and then the satisfying sound of it connecting with a skull._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We turn around to see Mr. Evans on the floor, Poe standing above him, still holding the bat at the ready. I scramble to my feet, pulling Kylo up with me and I turn toward the door to see Finn running toward me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________We embrace each other tightly, and I finally begin to realize that I’m safe and am not going to die._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________I close my eyes, never more grateful for Finn’s warmth and that reassuring, calm sense of comfort that he’s always carried with him since we were kids. I feel myself disappear in his embrace, the both of us briefly fading into that safeplace we would have to go to as children when our foster lives were more than we could handle. All of that seems almost trivial now, but all the more meaningful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Are you ok?” he asks me, still not breaking our hold._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes,” I assure him. I hear the sound of sirens rapidly approaching. “Thank you,” I say quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Our arms slowly lower from each other as we pull apart and I feel a strong, reassuring grip on my elbow. I turn back to Kylo as he pulls me toward him. I sink into his arms, not caring how much of his blood gets on me, and lean my head against his chest, listening to the consoling sound of his heartbeat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________For a moment, I wish he and I could just disappear and stay like this instead of facing whatever’s about to come once the police arrive. I know we have wounds that need healing and questions will need to be answered, but a small part of me hopes we could just go back to the city, back to my apartment, and get into bed and sleep in each other’s arms, as if none of this had ever happened. As if it were just another day._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	45. Chapter 45

Rey P.O.V.

There were a mess of police cars and ambulances within two minutes of us walking out of the house. They quickly arrested Mr. Evans, who unfortunately survived everything we dished out to him, but his face was thoroughly smashed in, and he’ll have to spend the rest of his life in a prison cell, so I suppose that’s a good enough alternative to death.

The police told us he must have been doing this for about ten years, changing his name and moving from place to place. Apparently there’s this whole thing where we could go to his trial, make some kind of emotional statement, then watch him get sentenced and locked up. But I don’t think any of us want to do that. I’m fine with never seeing him again.

Kylo and I haven’t let go of each other since walking out of the house. I’m afraid that if I do, I’ll somehow wake up back in the cellar, and I know he’s probably afraid I’ll just disappear if he isn’t holding onto me. Once we get to the ambulance, some of the paramedics try to pull us apart so they can look over our injuries, but Kylo immediately locks his arms around me in a death grip, a deep sound of warning coming from his throat that I can only describe as a growl. The paramedics wisely decide it’s best to just examine us how we are. We do have to let go of each other a little bit, but I keep ahold of Kylo’s hand as I get my cuts taken care of, and he has his side and face stitched up.

There are tons of questions immediately unloaded onto us, but thankfully, they don’t last long. Because as soon as Kylo and I are mostly patched up and the investigator bombards us with questions, a very old, but extremely well put together truck pulls up into the commotion. I feel Kylo freeze beside me, and watch as Leia walks briskly out of the passenger’s seat, followed by Han coming from the driver’s side, who’s accompanied by Chewie hopping out behind him. 

Leia immediately heads toward our direction while Han goes to talk with one of the policemen. Leia says a few quick words to the investigator before brushing him aside, then setting her important gaze on us.

“Ben Solo,” she starts, her familiar tone of voice sending an odd wave of relief through me, “if I were able to, I would ground you for the rest of your life.” He just stares at her, his arm still tightly locked around my waist. I’m about to apologize to her about all the danger I unintentionally put her only son in, but before I can, she steps forward and hugs him forcefully in her arms. He jumps back at first, looking more shocked than uncomfortable, until he slowly brings his other arm up to return her embrace. “Why didn’t you just _tell _me, Ben?” she asks after pulling away. “We could have worked all of this out and no one would have gotten hurt.”__

__“By the time the cops did anything, Rey would have been dead,” he replies. “I did what I had to.”_ _

__“But, you needed help nonetheless,” Poe says as he and Finn walk up to us. “And we, your trusted partners in crime, were not about to let you get yourself killed.”_ _

__“Why the hell couldn’t you two just do as I asked?” Kylo asks despairingly. “You could have gotten yourselves killed.” I’m surprised at the amount of concern there is in his tone. I didn’t think he was ever worried about their safety._ _

__“We really tried to do what you said,” Finn insists. “For, maybe twenty minutes. Then we decided we wanted to come over here and kick some ass.”_ _

__"Yeah, we couldn't let you two have all the glory," Poe agrees. “So we started driving over here, then I remembered this old baseball bat that was still sitting in my old room at my parent’s house.” He glances back toward the cop cars. “It’s too bad they had to take it for evidence, but anyway, we stopped by there on our way over. Then Finn called Leia right before we got here, because he was afraid she would kick his ass if he didn’t. Then we called the police. And it looks like we were just in time, and our plan worked beautifully, despite being a bit last minute.”_ _

__I suddenly let out a laugh, maybe because I’m a bit hysterical, or probably because I’m just glad that I’m sitting here, surrounded by the people I love and not bleeding out in a basement by myself._ _

__Poe glances toward me, smiling broadly as he walks up to me and embraces me in his warm, familiar way. Not as if I had just been kidnapped and tortured in a basement for hours on end, but more like it had been a few days and he was happy to see me. I hug him back, putting one arm around him while still letting Kylo keep ahold of my other arm._ _

__“We missed you, Reyzy,” he tells me. I bite my lip, trying to keep the tears from spilling down my face, because the last thing I need right now is to be blubbering in front of everyone. “You can’t scare us like that, girl, Kylo almost took everyone’s head off.” I laugh, holding him tighter, never more thankful for my two best friends._ _

__“Well of course I knew you’d show up with some kind of impossible plan,” I inform him. “You’ve never left me hanging before.”_ _

__“And we never will,” he assures me, standing up straight. “Now, where did that investigator go? Why didn’t he want to interview me?”_ _

__“I’m sure he’d be willing to let you keep him occupied,” Leia tells him. She looks back to Kylo and I. “You two will have to talk to him eventually, but I’ll convince them to give you until tomorrow.” I nod gratefully and she grins softly. I look back behind her to see Han approaching us, an unsure look on his face. Leia turns to face him and seems to nod encouragingly to him before walking off to talk to the investigator, Finn and Poe following eagerly behind her._ _

__Han walks up to us, his eyes on Kylo, looking like a million things are running through his mind that he doesn’t know how to say. Kylo just stares wide eyed at him, as if he didn’t even expect him to be here._ _

__Suddenly, Han quickly steps forward, wrapping his arms around his son and holding him close. Kylo stands still for a moment, but somehow looks less shocked than he did when his mother had hugged him just a few moments ago. Instead, to my great surprise, he brings his arm up to hug his father back in an equally tight embrace._ _

__They hold each other for a while, before suddenly letting go, as if some timer had gone off and they simultaneously realized how intimate they were being._ _

__“You did good, Ben,” Han tells him, nodding. “I know your mother’s a little upset, but you did the right thing. A reckless thing, but the right thing.” Chewie whines in agreement, circling around Han’s feet, making me chuckle. Kylo just nods, looking away awkwardly._ _

__“I know,” he answers. Han looks to me, a warm grin crossing his expression._ _

__“You ok, kid?” he asks, patting me comfortingly on the shoulder. I nod, returning his grin._ _

__“Nothing I can’t handle,” I tell him. He winks._ _

__“That’s my girl.”_ _

__

__Kylo and I continue sitting at the edge of the ambulance, the paramedics refusing to let us out of their sight for a little while longer. Kylo still presses me up against him and I run my hand slowly down his back, letting him know I’m still here beside him and that I’m ok._ _

__“Thank you,” I tell him quietly after a few moments of silence. He looks down at me. “Thank you for… coming to get me. I don’t even know what to say.” He looks slightly outraged for a moment but then reaches up to run his hand through my hair._ _

__“Rey, I’m always going to be here for you,” he says, his eyes narrowing somberly. “I will never let anyone take you away from me. And I’m never going to let anything happen to you again, because I’m never letting you out of my sight.”_ _

__I grin to myself, shaking my head slightly, but knowing that he’s probably being serious. I wonder how someone could ever care for me the way he does. How this all started in the first place. How Kylo Ren, the man I thought I couldn’t stand, is now someone I never want to leave me alone._ _

__“I’m telling you, it’s not going to be easy to get rid of me,” he promises, as if reading my thoughts. I smile at him, leaning my head against his shoulder._ _

__“Good,” I say. “I don’t want it to be.”_ _

__We stay like that for a while, watching the police finally begin to wrap everything up and some of the cars begin pulling away._ _

__“I don’t know about you,” I say, “but I really need some fast food, a shower, and the longest sleep of my life.” I feel him laugh gently, his hand resting against the side of my head._ _

__“I second that.” My eyes suddenly widen as I sit up straight, looking over at him eagerly._ _

__“Stars, I forgot to ask you!” I exclaim and he stares at me oddly. “What was it you wanted to ask me last night? You wanted to ask me something when I came over.” He looks confused for a moment, then a small, almost shy grin appears on his lips._ _

__“Oh,” he says, shaking his head, as if the idea seemed a little underwhelming now._ _

__“Come on, I’ve been dying to know,” I encourage him. He sighs, his hand beginning to stroke up and down my arm._ _

__“I was going to ask you if you wanted to move in with me.”_ _

__I stare at him with wide eyes for a long moment, feeling a thousand responses filtering through my brain, but unable to pick one that would properly express how surprisingly wonderful those words sound to me right now._ _

__I finally feel the tears I’ve been holding back spill from my eyes as I throw myself up against him, my arms tightly circling around his waist. He laughs in surprise._ _

__“Is that a yes?”_ _

__

__Kylo P.O.V._ _

__Han and Leia end up driving us back to Rey’s apartment. By this time, it’s about eight and the both of us feel like we’re ready to pass out. We stop to grab some fast food, and I’m so out of it, I couldn’t tell you what it was or where we got it from if you held a gun to my head. I’m not even in the mood to be hesitant to the fact that it’s fast food, I just shove it in my mouth as if I haven’t eaten in years._ _

__Rey downs about four entire bottles of water in under ten minutes, and I realize she probably hasn’t ate or drank anything for twenty four hours. For this reason, I give her a bit of my food as well, which even she doesn’t have enough energy to refuse._ _

__I can tell Leia doesn’t want to leave us alone just yet, but she decides not to argue with me when I tell her we’re fine on our own for the night. I need to be alone with Rey, even if we do nothing but sleep for twelve hours, which sounds wonderfully appealing right now. So, Leia agrees to let us be, but promises she’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning._ _

__I don’t think I’ve let go of Rey once since we got out of that house, and I don’t plan to for a while. Even while we were both scarfing down our much needed food, I made sure my hand was still resting on some part of her body._ _

__In my dazed state, I barely even comprehend Rey and I walking up to her apartment. When we walk in, Rey looks around a bit in awe, as if she didn’t think she’d ever see it again._ _

__I squeeze her hand gently, trying to bring her out of her trance. She glances back over to me, shaking herself out of a daze._ _

__“Is everything ok?” I ask, then mentally slap myself for asking such a dumb question. She just nods._ _

“Surprisingly, yes,” she answers. “It’s been quite the day, but… I think at this point, I’m delirious enough to be ok with it.” I chuckle in agreement. _Well, at least she seems like her normal self. _“I don’t suppose you could let go of me long enough for me to shower?”__

______“Not a chance, scavenger. I’ll take one too.”_ _ _ _ _ _

____It’s a little hard, but I do eventually have to cease physical contact with her for a bit while we get undressed. I don’t know what it is, but not touching her feels wrong._ _ _ _

____We spend about thirty minutes in the shower, only managing to stay awake the entire time because the feeling of letting the steaming hot water burn any remnants of the past couple of days off every inch of our bodies, is indescribable. Never have I been more grateful for the benevolent invention of the shower._ _ _ _

____When we’re done, she changes into her pajamas and I change into a set of clothes my parents had brought for me. Normally, I would have been enraged at them going into my house without my knowledge, but right now, I’m thanking everything holy that I can change into anything aside from the clothes I’ve been wearing since yesterday and throughout this whole ordeal._ _ _ _

____Rey looks asleep before she even gets in bed, her head resting up against my arm as I try walking us over and pulling the sheets on the bed back. I lift her up and set her down in the bed, crawling in beside her and pulling the covers up over both of us._ _ _ _

____I hold her close against me, staring down at her sleeping form, her eyes closed peacefully, looking like she’s finally getting some much needed rest._ _ _ _

____My mind doesn’t allow me to sleep for a few moments, so I stay up and watch her sleep, gently brushing my fingers through her wet hair. My hand eventually travels down to her stomach where I softly lift her shirt up to reveal the four bandages covering her wounds._ _ _ _

____I turn her away from me a little so I can get a better look, not worrying about waking her up. I don’t think she’d be able to wake up even if a fire alarm were blaring in her ear._ _ _ _

____I run my hand over her stomach, tracing along each of the lines made across her body, wondering why anyone would take joy in hurting her like this, what else might have happened to her if I hadn’t gotten there when I did, or what would have happened if Finn and Poe didn’t arrive just in time to help us._ _ _ _

____I pull her shirt back down, caressing my hand across her stomach and pulling her up against me again, my arms encircling her, her head resting under my chin. I close my eyes, feeling the comforting sensation of her heart beating against my chest._ _ _ _

____Getting angry about all this is pretty pointless now. It doesn’t matter. It’s over and we’re all ok. And my beautiful scavenger is safe in my arms, right where she belongs._ _ _ _

____This reassuring thought is enough for my mind to finally allow me to join Rey in a much needed sleep._ _ _ _


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to split this story into two parts. The sequel will be called Say You'll Stay and will conclude Rey and Kylo's story.

_Six Months Later ___

__Rey P.O.V._ _

__“So,” Poe says loudly as we all finish the last of our food, “will we be ordering dessert?” His eyes stay on Kylo, even though the question was supposedly meant for all of us._ _

__“You can order it,” Kylo replies, “but I won’t be paying for it because I won’t be eating it.”_ _

__“Aw, come on,” Finn eggs him on. “I know you want to.”_ _

__“No, I really don’t,” Kylo insists._ _

__“Boys, it’s not going to work,” I tell them, shaking my head in defeat. “Trust me, I’ve tried for over a year now. Nothing is going to break him.”_ _

__“Maybe you just need to rethink your technique,” Poe suggests, studying Kylo hard. He teasingly returns Poe’s narrowed gaze._ _

__“Try all you want, Dameron,” Kylo invites. “It’s not going to happen.” Poe still doesn’t look convinced, but Finn eventually shakes his head._ _

__“I think he’s right, Poe,” he tells him as I interlock my fingers with Kylo’s. “If Reyzy can’t break him, no one will.”_ _

“ _Reyzy _,” Kylo scoffs, a funny look on his face. “You know, I never asked, why the hell do you two always call her that?”__

______The three of us glance toward each other, grinning._ _ _ _ _ _

____“Do you wanna tell him?” Poe asks me, making me chuckle._ _ _ _

____“Am I about to learn some government secret or something?” Kylo asks in confusion._ _ _ _

____“No!” I exclaim. “Look, it’s really not that exciting. Finn gave it to me back in elementary school, when we first met. We went out to the playground at recess, and he followed me over to the monkey bars.”_ _ _ _

“She started swinging across these things like she was freaking Spider-Man,” Finn says, shaking his head in amazement as Kylo laughs. “Doing all these weird flips, hanging upside down, climbing on top of ‘em. And it was Jakku, so it was _hot _out. But she just kept going, all throughout recess, while I sat and watched her, drinking two liters of water per second and trying not to get scorched to death. I started calling her Crazy Reyzy because I thought she was literally insane.”__

________“I probably was,” I agree as Kylo’s hand curls around my waist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m sure you were,” Kylo replies, grinning. I smile back up at him before leaning up to kiss him on the lips._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ah, the love birds,” Poe sighs, shaking his head. “It’s nice to finally be on the other side of it, isn’t it Rey?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“It sure is,” I nod. “I barely even notice the two of you making out anymore.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Did we really do it that much?” Finn asks sheepishly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes!” I insist._ _ _ _ _ _

______“As much as you two?” he questions._ _ _ _ _ _

“ _Yes! _” He puts his hand to his forehead.__

__________“Well, I’m embarrassed.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hey, how’s the new class coming along?” Poe asks, curiously._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s great,” I say, nodding. “The gender studies professor is definitely not an insane psycho murderer, but I’m keeping my distance nonetheless._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I don’t understand how you’re able to go back there,” Finn says with uncertainty._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, come on, Finn,” I shrug. “I can’t let this one event dictate what I do with my life. I wanted to take a college class, and that’s what I’m going to do. And so far, I’ve been doing awesome in this new class, if I do say so myself.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Not to mention, she’s the most popular person in the University now,” Poe adds. I feel myself begin to blush._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Yes, it’s true, ever since the stories hit the news, it didn’t take long for word to spread around the school that I was the one who was involved, even though my name was kept out of the headlines. It’s not as if I were immediately surrounded by a mob of people every time I walked through the front doors, but I am bombarded by stares from every single person I pass, and a few of the braver ones come up to me and ask me if I’m doing ok and what it was like._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s not as glamorous as it sounds,” I mutter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, but I’m sure you have a lot of new, extremely interested young college men now at your disposal,” Poe says, raising his eyebrows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, tell me about it,” Kylo grits in annoyance. “Every time I go to pick her up after her class, there’s at least five assholes hanging around I have to get rid off.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh, I bet they run for their lives when they see you coming,” Finn laughs. He’s right. The look on his face when he comes walking up to us even frightens me a little. It frightens me in a strange, exciting way of course, but it frightens the guys who linger around me in the way that they think they might get their throats ripped out if they stay any longer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, with that new, badass scar across his face, he looks like some kind of vengeful warrior,” Poe grins, nodding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know,” I smile, reaching up to turn Kylo’s face toward me. I kiss his cheek, running my hand up through his hair. “I happen to think it’s _incredibly _hot.”__

____________He leans down and captures my mouth with his, gently pushing his tongue past my lips. I laugh against his mouth before quickly pulling away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You forget we have an audience,” I remind him as I look back to see Finn and Poe trying to politely keep their eyes off us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“They don’t have to look if they don’t want to,” Kylo answers, his hand reaching out to cup the side of my face and pull me back over to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________We have to pull away again anyway when the waiter comes back to give us our check._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So, you’re all moved in?” Finn asks me after we’ve finished paying the check._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yep,” I nod as we begin to gather all our things. “I think we’ve cleared out everything I need from my apartment. All I have to do now is turn in all the keys, and the deal is officially sealed.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Nice,” Poe approves as we scoot out of the booth we had been sitting in. Kylo grips my hand firmly in his as we head towards the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It took a good few months before Kylo was comfortable leaving me on my own again. I was fine after a couple of weeks, but it took him a lot longer. No matter how much I insist that I’ll be ok, I can tell it’s still hard, even now, for him to leave me alone for more than a couple minutes. Of course, I don’t mind having him with me all the time, but I do still have to convince him I’m fine being without him for a little while, especially when we both have to work._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________We step outside into the chilly, nighttime air, and Kylo pulls me closer to him when I shiver at the sharp, cold breeze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What are we doing now?” Poe asks eagerly. “It’s Friday night!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I don’t know,” Finn answers. “Any cool college parties we can crash?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, I’m sure if there are any, Poe will know where to find them,” Kylo acknowledges._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“True,” I agree._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, I don’t know about college parties, but there are a couple clubs we could hit up,” Poe suggests. “I’m feeling like I need to burn off steam.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“When do you not?” I laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m with him!” Finn declares, running to catch up with Poe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“We’ll be there in a minute,” Kylo says, grabbing ahold of my arm before I can take off after them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Don’t have too much fun you two!” Finn calls back to us._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m planning on having fun with you, sexy man!” Poe screams to him from across the parking lot, probably making Finn turn red._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I turn back to Kylo questioningly before he suddenly grabs ahold of my waist and pushes me against the wall, his lips suddenly attacking mine, making me laugh in surprise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You know, we really shouldn’t leave them alone too long,” I say, giggling as he kisses along the side of my face and neck. “They’ll lock us out of the car and won’t let us in until they’ve… _finished _…”__

______________“Well, then we’ll give them a few minutes,” he replies. His hands begin traveling underneath my shirt, but I quickly push them away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, no no, it is _way _too cold for that,” I tell him, grinning. He smirks, touching his forehead against mine, his fingers reaching up to caress my neck.__

“Then we’d better go somewhere warm,” he says quietly. I return his smirk, grabbing onto his shoulders and wrapping my legs around his waist, making him startle in surprise. “You know, you never used to want to be this… _intimate _in public,” he observes as my hands massage through his soft hair.__

__________________“Well, I think you’ve gotten me pretty used to it by now.” He hugs me tighter against him, his tongue pushing past my lips, grazing through my mouth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________I feel myself bump back up against the wall and pull my lips away from him mouth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So, what are our plans for tonight?” I gasp as I feel his tongue trace along my neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“We’re going to the club to indulge your exuberant friend,” he tells me. “We’ll drink and dance or whatever the hell you guys do. And then we’re going home and going to bed.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I see,” I reply, pushing my waist against his. “But I assume we’re not going to sleep?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Nope,” he confirms, his lips brushing along my chin and the side of my face. “We’re staying up _all _night. You’ve managed to avoid me every night for the past week.”__

____________________“We have to sleep when we have work in the morning!” I protest as he swings my legs around off his waist to hold me bridal style._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Well, we don’t tomorrow,” he says as he carries me over toward the car. “That means you’re mine all night, scavenger.” I snicker, rolling my eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Whatever you say, _my lord. _”__

______________________“Hm,” he murmurs teasingly. “I like the sound of that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Oh, get over yourself.” He chuckles to himself, shaking his head. “You can put me down now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I don’t want to. I like carrying you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Uh huh,” I grin, shaking my head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________I brush some of his hair behind his ear, my face becoming somber._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’m in love with you, Kylo Ren.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________He stops walking, looking down at me, with that same, compelling gaze he gave me that night at the club all those months ago, when I wasn’t sure why I felt so attracted to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’m in love with you too. Rey Kenobi.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist:
> 
> Hands Up by Merk and Kremont  
> I Can't Say I'm in Love by R5  
> Levels by Nick Jonas  
> Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley  
> Crazy in Love by Beyonce  
> Jealous by Nick Jonas  
> For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert  
> Runaway by Krewella  
> Witchcraft by Frank Sinatra  
> Unstoppable by Sia


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